You Came in with the Breeze on Friday Morning
by Lilybet.Kate
Summary: Jeanne decide's to surprise Tony but she is the one that's in for a surprise. Ziva, Abby and McGee have had a movie night at Tony's. McGee and Abby have a plan, Ziva and Tony are caught in an awkward situation and Jeanne is confused. TIVA
1. I thought I knew you well

**A/N: This is my first NCIS fic, hopefully i got the characterisation right. Feedback is much appreciated. I know most people hate Jeanne don't worry I do to. It was fun making her jealous and upset :D**

The sun was rising over the streets of Washington as Jeanne Benoit drove across town. She smiled to herself as she thought about her surprise. Her boyfriend Tony seemed to be been having a down week so she had decided to surprise him with muffins and coffee, exactly as he liked it to cheer him up. She had only been to his apartment once, he liked to visit her instead .Not once did it cross her mind that there might be a reason he kept her away. At least not until there was no turning back.

* * *

"Shh McGee could you get any louder." Abby Schuto mock whispered early the same Friday morning

"Abby, I'm not the one who…"

"Shhhhhh." Abby cut him off "Just take the damn picture Timmy, before they wake up and shoot us. Well Tony wouldn't shoot us only Ziva would. Actually her style is more Ninja stabbing and since your closest take all the time you want Timmy." McGee just stared at her, amusement evident in his eyes as he dangled the camera by the wrist strap.

"McGee, hurry up and…"

"Take them?" he asked her "Already done Abby."

"Really? Hmm I guess we better get this out of their reach before they…"

"Wake up" A third voice suggested. Abby and McGee slowly turned their heads to see the other two members of their team staring up at them. Tony looked slightly amused and Ziva looked, well murderous.

"Tony," McGee smiled nervously, taking a step backwards "Ziva your awake."

"Great observation, McObvious." Tony quipped. Ziva tried to move his arm off her but he just tightened his grip.

"Tony, you will let go of my arm right now or else."

'What, you'll kill me with a paper clip?" Tony laughed "Hate to burst your bubble sweet cheeks but I don't keep paper clips in my house anymore."

"Tony. Let go of me so I can kill McGee and Abby. Unless you would like to volunteer to take their pain."

"Okay, okay." He laughed "Go kill yourself some McAbby."

"Some Mcwhat?"

"McAbby, McGee and Abby." He repeated, she still looked confused, causing him to laugh even harder. "Look just go find them before they send the pictures to Gibbs or something." He said, finally removing his arm and watching as she charged through his apartment, looking for the Goth and the Geek who had escaped during their argument.

* * *

Jeanne pulled up in the parking garage of Tony's apartment and pulled the bag of muffins and coffee mugs out of her car. Sure it wasn't a home cooked breakfast but it was sure to be better than whatever he had managed to pull out of the fridge. Humming quietly to herself she locked her car and headed towards the lift.

* * *

"Quickly McGee, before they come in and catch us. Well actually more likely before they come in while we're hiding them so they know where they are and take them away from us and then we can't use them to our advantage and amusement."

"Abby, I'm done." He assured her quietly

"Did you hide them well?" she questioned nervously

"Yes Abby, I hid them fine. How did you manage to find caf-pow at Tony's apartment anyway? You jumping around like well and Abby with Caf-pow"

"Haha McGee, you better have hidden them well, if they find them then it won't be fun. Not that they would find them, because you know they weren't expecting this and well, why would they think we did this, in fact they probably thought we sent them round the office or something."

"Abby." McGee finally got a word in when she paused for breath "They would be a lot less suspicious if we were where they are right now."

"True, Timmy you are a genius. In fact that's a good idea let's find them. Maybe we'll interrupt another one of their moments, I love it when we do that." McGee smiled to himself as Abby's voice faded through to the living room and he shut the study doors with a soft click.

* * *

"Did the Probie outrun you Zee-vah?" Tony asked as Ziva stalked into his kitchen camera less. After McGee and Abby had run off with the camera he had made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a mug of the coffee McGee and Abby had been so kind to leave him.

"No Tony, he did not." Ziva shot him a glare but he didn't bat an eyelid, he was used to it by now, he could tell when she really meant it and this one was half-hearted

"So you let him go why? Couldn't find any paper clips?" Tony teased, pushing a cup of tea towards her at the same time.

"I let him go because he can't do anything with the photographs. It is your camera and he would not steal it. That is not McGee."

"Emailing it?"

"How could he email it from a camera. And your laptop is in your bedroom is it not?"

"I wouldn't put it past Abby." He grumbled

"Well, I do not think he will do anything. He is to scared of me anyway."

"That's true," Tony smiled "Well I'm off to find that Probie and his bat lady."

"Be careful, they might be going at it like kittens." Ziva laughed as he headed for the door.

"Rabbit's Ziva, they would be doing it like rabbits." Tony chuckled over his shoulder.

* * *

Jeanne was still humming as she reached Tony's apartment door. It had taken her a lot of effort to find his place, but she'd done it and it was all worth it, to imagine the smile he would have on his face. She imagined it he would probably be asleep still, in front of one of his movies. James Bond or a Quentin Tarentino perhaps. She reached into her pocket and drew out the key he had left at her place. She was about to stick it in the lock when she heard voices through the door. One was distinctly female and was laughing. She thought there might be two other people laughing as well. Then she heard it and her heart skipped a beat. "Ziva, I think I may love you." The keys slipped through her numb fingers and dropped with a thump onto the door mat.

* * *

"I found the Probie." Tony called out proudly walking into the kitchen to find Ziva at the stove. "No kittens though" When Ziva began to laugh McGee and Abby looked at her strangely, but she just kept going

"Kittens?" McGee asked sounding confused.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it McBarbie." Tony chuckled as he pulled himself up on the bench.

"Watcha cooking Ziva?" Abby asked as she sat down on one of Tony's bar stools.

"And how did you manage to find ingredients that weren't past there used by date at Tony's house?" McGee had finally gotten over his insult and joined in the bickering.

"Pancakes." Ziva told them, swatting away Tony's finger but not before he managed to swipe some of the mixture.

"Mmm, my favorite. Ziva I think I may love you." He laughed.

"What was that?" Ziva suddenly straightened her spine and putting a finger up for them to hush.

"I think I may love you?" Tony asked hesitantly "Because I was totally joking. Please don't kill me with that spatula."

"No, I thought I heard something outside. Keys dropping."

"It was probably some one of my neighbors or something." Tony shrugged, sticking his finger towards the bowl again. Ziva was expecting it this time however and wacked his hand with the spatula.

"Maybe I should go check."

"Come on sweet cheeks, don't bother. Go out there with your guns blazing and old Mrs. Wilkes may call the cops on you."

"I am a Federal Agent. They can not arrest me." Ziva told him.

"But it's more trouble than it's worth Zee."

"Fine. I need a shower. All of you get out. I will cook when I have finished." She said, waving the spatula at them

"Geez, woman I'm taking that thing off you." Tony chuckled "Use my shower." He added as she headed down the hall. She didn't question him, just expertly stepped to the side and disappeared from sight.

* * *

"How does she know her way around here so well?" Abby asked McGee as they sat in the living room. Ziva was still in the shower and Tony had gone to get changed.

"I don't know. She's been here before. I mean you know the way around here."

"Yea, but I've known Tony for six years, she's known him not even two. I should know better than her. Maybe they're still sleeping together, you know even though Tony still has that mysterious girlfriend."

"Abby…"

"You know we never hear much about her, maybe Tony made her up or something. I bet he did, just to make Ziva jealous."

"Abby." McGee yelled, finally getting her attention.

"I really don't think that Tony made this 'Mystery Girl' up, that's not really Tony's style, and I really don't think they ever slept together."

"Really Timmy? Because they always had that vibe."

"Abby, it's called flirting. It's what Tony does, granted he does it more with Ziva than anyone else, but still."

"Well they need to get over it and sleep together actually they probably already are and just don't wanna tell us, you know rule number 12 and all. Except Tony's too much of a good guy for that. Maybe we could find this 'mysterious girlfriend', I could kill her and leave no forensic evidence you know."

"Yes Abby, so I've heard. Come on, we can do this before they come out." He walked into the study, Abby bounding behind him. The two of them didn't realize there was a distraught woman leaning against the door who had heard every word of their conversation.

* * *

Jeanne pulled herself up off the floor. What did these people know? It appeared Tony didn't talk about her to his friends; they didn't even know her name. There had to be a good reason for that, Tony mustn't want to screw it up or something. Yea that was it. Well she would just knock on the door. They had to let her in, Tony would have to let her in, and then she would see that this was all a misunderstanding. So she stood up, wiped her eyes and knocked hoping that Tony would answer. Her hopes weren't answered however and the door was opened but a woman dressed in black and spikes. Jeanne took a step back in fright. This was defiantly going well.

* * *

McGee and Abby had just finished with the pictures when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll answer it." Abby singsonged skipping to the door.

"Okay, it's probably a neighbour who locked their keys in the door or someone selling something anyway." Tony called out from his room.

It was neither however. Abby opened the door to find a pretty dark haired woman standing holding a plastic cup of coffee. At the sight of her the woman took a step back and Abby grinned.

"Abby, who's at the door?" McGee asked walking up behind her. "What do you want?" his words were directed at Jeanne this time

"Is Tony home?" She asked them nervously.

"Abby, you scared her." McGee chided gently, struggling to suppress a grin. Abby just grinned at him and he rolled his eyes

"Yea sure, who are you?" McGee answered the woman politely much to Abby's annoyance. She had a Gibbs gut feeling this was Tony's mystery woman.

"I'm Jeanne," She said, a bit more confidently. "Tony's girlfriend."

"Alright then, come in Tony should be minute." McGee opened the door. Jeanne walked into the apartment and gasped. Plastered all over the walls were pictures of Tony and an exotic looking woman. Pictures of them dancing, talking and even multiple ones of them asleep on a couch together. It took Jeanne all she had in her not to shriek or cry. They were all platonic, she kept telling herself, nothing sexual, nothing overly incriminating.

* * *

Jeanne had been sitting gingerly on the couch for about 5 minutes when there was a thump from a room down the hall from Tony's room. Before either of the two other people in the room could stop her, she had raced down the hall and thrown open the door. She gasped in shock, tears stinging her eyes. Tony was lying on the floor in the middle of the room, clothed in a pair of jeans and a shirt. Straddling him, wearing only her underwear was the exotic beauty from the pictures. It took a minute before either of the two noticed her.

"Jeanne." Tony breathed, making no move to get up however.

"About time." She heard the Goth girl squealing behind her. Her eyes met Tony's for a second. A single second before she could take it no more and tore out of the house dropping the coffee and key on the floor. She wanted to get out. She just wanted out.

* * *

"Zee-vah are you almost done?" Tony knocked on the door to his bathroom. "Come on hurry up." He yelled. He still got no response. "Ziva, open up or I'm coming in." Still no reply. "Ziva." He gingerly twisted the door handle and pushed it open. He had a glimpse of Ziva, about to pull a shirt over her head. The next thing he saw was the roof of his bedroom. Ziva had his arms pinned to the floor above his head and was sitting on him so he couldn't move."

"I thought I had told you before. Do not come if I am in the bathroom." She leant down and whispered in his ear. "Last time it got a little messy, did it not?"

"Relax Zee-vah. I just wanted to get my…" before he could continue a soft gasp drew their attention to someone else standing by the door. Almost in unison he and Ziva spun their head towards the door. Jeanne was standing there, McGee and Abby behind her. This must look incriminating, he thought, it's not what it looks like, but all that came out of his mouth was "Jeanne." He vaguely heard Abby squealing in the background and McGee trying to calm her down. All he could see was the betrayal in her eyes. He tried to get up but Ziva had him in an iron grip. Then she's gone as suddenly as she came and he can move again. Ziva let go.  
"Ziva, you can get off me now." He said, no quip or joke, not this time.

"Are you not going to go after her?" Ziva asked him as she pulled one of his old sweatshirts that just happened to be lying on this bed.

"Nah." He shrugged "I'll fix it later." He smirked his usual DiNozzo grin and they all realise he's not to bothered. "Right now I think it's time for pancakes."

**A/N: So how was it? hopefully not to horrid. Please like i said before feedback would be lovely, characterisation is what I'm most worried about. Anyway I have a couple more idea's for stories anyone interested? Thanks for taking the time to read and review.  
xoxo **


	2. I feel it, it's coming

**A/N: Okay here we go chapter 2. I had originally planned this as a one-shot but you guys liked it so i continued it. I'm really sorry if it's not what you expected. I'm trying to fuse a heavy case with the light hearted nature of the story, it's tough. Anyway i have something else to say PLEASE read the A/N at the bottom of the page, but for now enjoy**

"Probie you are so McDead." McGee visibly paled more than Ziva thought possible when Tony spotted the pictures now adorning the walls of his apartment. All four of them had been making their way to the kitchen when she had caught a glimpse into the living room. Seeing the corner of one of the pictures she had made a detour, and discovered McGee and Abby's attempts at re-decorating.

"Tony, let's be rational about this." McGee took a step backwards "It was all Abby." He flung his arm in Abby's general direction.

"I find that hard to believe McSneaky." Tony growled taking a menacing step towards him. "Actually I don't but just watch your back." He managed to growl out before a few chuckles escaped.

"Come on Tony, it was just a joke." McGee took another step backwards as Tony took one forwards

"Sure it was McProbie, you know that, I know that but who else might have seen them and not known that."

"I'm hungry guys." Abby interrupted the two men.

"Alright Abby, Let us go and cook these pancakes," Ziva smiled slightly, "and Tony leave McGee alone."

"Only for you sweet cheeks." He grinned cheekily.

The smug smirk that had crept onto McGee's face was quickly wiped of when Tony whispered, "I'm watching you Probie," to him as he passed.

* * *

"Abby, what are you still doing here. I thought you'd all left." Tony started when he walked out of his room, now fully dressed, to find Abby sitting on his couch.

"I need a lift." She told him, eyes wide.

"Okay, but what's wrong with your car?" he asked her, grabbing his keys and sunglasses off the table next to him.

"In the shop, oh how I wish I had time to fix it, but McGee gave me a lift last night." She shrugged, pulling herself up from the seat.

"So why couldn't you catch a lift with him this morning?" he quickly checked he hadn't forgotten anything and flicked off the lights, leaving them in the dark.

"Maybe I love you more?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Nice try Abby, why don't you tell me about it in the car." He held open the door for her before closing it behind them with a soft click.

"So," Tony began once they we're on the freeway, "Why did you want a lift with me. Oh wait, I think I have it. To interrogate me about Jeanne."

"Tony, I'm insulted you think so badly of me." Abby said, giving him her best wounded look. When he just raised his eyebrows at her she continued, "Okay, so maybe I am curious, but you don't have to tell me."

"Yea right, we both know you're dying to know, and that your going to keep prying till you get the truth."

"Well yes," she admitted, "but I can get it from you or I can get it from the database, personally I prefer you tell me, because we're supposed to be friends and all but I'm really not bothered which way. And well, it will be a challenge the other way, barely a challenge for me but still a challenge."

"Breathe Abby," he laughed when she finally took a breath. "How bout we make a deal. I will tell you a little bit about Jeanne each day, just to keep you on your toes, and you don't pass the information onto Ziva and the Probie like I know you promised to do."

"How…"

"Abby, really I'm not as stupid as I look. They think I'm least likely to get mad at you,"

"No, no Tony I don't think-" he gave her a quick look and she quickly got back on topic

"Okay, so you caught us. But I think I'll come to the dark side, you have more information. Oh can I give them bad information, please? That would be fun. Speaking of the dark side, do you have cookies?"  
"Sure Abby, do whatever you want, besides giving them the actual information."

"Cookies?"

"Sure Abs, I'll make sure to get you some cookies." He laughed as they pulled into the Navy yard.

* * *

"Morning Zee-vah, Probalicious." Tony called as he walked into the bullpen a couple of minutes later.

"Tony, you just saw us not an hour ago." Ziva looked at him in confusion

"So Ziva," Tony completely ignored her last statement and leant towards her conspicuously "Has our Probie found his present yet?" Ziva shot him a confused look, which quickly disappeared as she figured out what he was talking about.

"No, you would be able to see if he had would you not?"

"Good point my Ninja, good point." Tony grinned cheekily at her

"Tony, what did you do?" McGee was worried despite the chance he had gotten here before Tony, or had appeared to. He quickly checked his keyboard for superglue, before beginning to check the rest of his desk

"And anyway Abby hasn't really had a chance to…"  
"Abby hasn't had a chance to what DiNozzo?" Gibbs strode into the bullpen in his usual manner, brisk, with a coffee cup in his hand, and at the worst moment.

"Umm, well, paint her nails boss." Tony mentally berated himself for the stupid reply.

"Well perhaps you could paint them together DiNozzo." McGee and Ziva snickered as Tony just walked back to his desk to sulk.

"McGee what are you doing on the floor?" Gibbs barked as the junior agent bumped his head on his chair

"Well, you see Boss I was just, I don't know." McGee finished lamely

"and I don't want to know, gear up."

* * *

The team walked into the nondescript looking house on the military base belonging to Lieutenant Daniels, his wife, twin daughters and son no way prepared for what they would see. None of them aware that it would affect them more than they could guess, or could figure out why.

* * *

"My God." Tony whispered as they walked into the Daniel's living room. McGee took an instinctive step back and Ziva's hand found Tony's. A gruesome sight greeted them. The body of 16-year-old Melanie Daniels was sitting in a bloodstained plush chair. Her arms and legs were pinned to the chair with knives and her bloody face twisted in agony. There was a sword sticking through the back of the chair and out through her stomach. Gibbs stared at the body in shock for a few seconds, noticed only by Tony, before shaking it off and barking out orders as usual. "DiNozzo photos, Ziva bag and tag, McGee interview the neighbours and the family."

"Uh, Ziva," Tony said hesitantly "if I have to take photos you might want to let go of my hand…" as soon as he bought it up she dropped his hand like it had caught on fire and moved smoothly away from him.

"Ahh Jethro, what have we got this time." Ducky and Palmer walked into the room. When they caught sight of the body their reaction was the same shocked one of the team.

"My oh my," Ducky said softly "Whoever could be so brutal."

"That's what we're here to find out Duck."

"Oh yes right, Get the Gurney Mr. Palmer." Ducky ordered as he stepped forward to closely examine the body.

"Alright Doctor." Palmer was glad to get out of the room, if only for a minute

"My oh my, how horrible." Ducky was clucking to himself under his breath as he inserted the liver probe.

"Do you have a time of death Duck?" Gibbs asked him impatiently.

"Just a minute Jethro, how many times have we had this conversation?"

"What else can you tell me then?"  
"Not much I'm afraid, until I've had a chance to perform an autopsy. Ah here we go, time of death was approximately 8 o'clock last night."

* * *

"Are you okay Ziva?" Tony asked her hesitantly, pausing in his picture taking for a while.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" She asked him, not looking up from the blood stained remote she was carefully placing in the bag.

"Because this is a pretty awful crime."

"I have seen worse." She shrugged

"Have you really, to children this young?" he squatted on the floor next to her

"Yes." She breathed quietly

"And it really didn't affect you?"

"Maybe a little, but you need to learn to deal with it."

"Learning to deal with it makes you not human, children should never be brutalized like this."

"Maybe not but they are." She sighed, finally looking up at him. "Why have you not made a funny movie reference yet?" she asked, hoping to break the tension

"Because this is even stranger than fiction," He told her gravely, picking up his camera again to continue documenting the horrendous scene, "and it's not funny in the slightest

* * *

"Duck, what have you got for me?" Gibbs walked into autopsy, ever present coffee clutched in his hand.

"Well Jethro, her end was more horrible than we first expected."

"More horrible than being stabbed through the back from behind?"

"Well yes," Ducky said, "Judging from the minimal amount of bleeding, I would say the sword wound was inflicted post-mortem, which means her cause of death,"

"wasn't the impaling." Gibbs finished

"No, in fact I would hazard a guess and say she bled to death from the knives pinning her to the chair. Her death would have been slow and painful indeed."

"Thank Duck." Gibbs turned on his heel and walked out as quickly as he came

"Well my dear, you have certainly struck a chord with him, I haven't seen him like this in a long, long time." Ducky muttered as he continued his autopsy.

* * *

"Alright, what do we know?" Gibbs barked as he returned from autopsy.

"Melanie Daniels, 16 year old high-school Junior." Tony said, putting up a picture of the girl on the plasma "Cheerleader, jock boyfriend," he clicked over the picture, "generally well liked,"

"Except she had that ex-boyfriend who wasn't to happy when she dumped him," McGee pointed out

"She did not get on well with her twin sister either." Ziva added, walking over and leaning against Tony's desk.

"None of the same friends, they got into fights at school a lot. Seems Melanie was the popular one and Claire was the band geek." Tony provided.

"What do we know about last night." Gibbs barked

"Oh right," McGee said "Her sister was out with a friend for the day and her little brother was staying over at his cousins house for a sleepover."

"The Daniels left the house to go out to dinner about 6 o'clock," DiNozzo continued, "when they returned about 11 o'clock they found Melanie's body."

"Do the alibi's check out?"

"Working on it boss." McGee typed away furiously.

"Alright, what about the father?" Gibbs asked

"Lieutenant Daniels, stationed on numerous different ships before being transferred to Quantico when his son was born 7 years ago." McGee read off his computer monitor "His record is clean, his superiors had nothing but praise for him."

"And the boyfriend?"

"Alex Stevens. Senior and Quarterback on the school team. Had an ex-girlfriend, Heidi Smith who, after he dumped her for Melanie, claimed that he had raped her and beat her during their relationship but she dropped all charges a week or so after and moved to California." Tony told him

"Ziva, Tony talk to him and check his alibi," they began to grab their gear, "tomorrow."

"Why not tonight boss?" Tony asked him confused

"Because it's late and Smith is likely to be laying low. Make him think he's not a suspect"

"But Gibbs.."

"Go Ziva, I want all three of you to go home and be here early tomorrow morning."

"If you say so boss." Tony said, elbowing Ziva when she was about to protest.

"and I mean early, unlike this morning."

"Yes boss." McGee said, as the three of them began to pack up their things.

As soon as Gibbs was gone Tony turned to the other two. "Grab Abby and maybe Palmer, we're going out."

"Tonight Tony, really?" Ziva asked as McGee began to dial Abby.

"Yes tonight Zee-vah. We all need to get out."

"We were together last night." She pointed out

"I didn't say we needed to be together I said we needed to go out, take our minds off this case. Not even you could be so removed from this one, not after…"

"Abby's getting Palmer." McGee interrupted them, "she says she'll meet us in the garage and to tell Tony she's getting a lift with him."

"Ziva, your going end of story." Tony told her firmly

"Alright then," she finally sighed "but no funny stuff." She pointed at Tony.

**A/N: Sorry if that was to heavy or case orientated i had to introduce it, but i hope the beginning and end fluffed it out a bit.  
**

**Now because i originally intended this as a one shot I'm writing as I'm going as opposed to having scheduled chapters, this is both good and bad. Good in the fact you can tell me what you want to see, what you like and what you don't like [just don't tell me kill Jeanne because she has a part in this story] it's bad because if my life is hectic then you might go a week or two without updates. Please bear with me i PROMISE not to abandon this story.**

**On my profile i have a link to a cover for this story and as it progresses i might add other bits and pieces, so please check that out and vote for which stories i should concentrate on**

**Finally, anyone wanna Beta for me? Pretty please. Hope you like this and it's direction, next chapter will be a bit lighter.**

**xoxo  
Lilybet **


	3. Your not looking like you used to

**A/N: Chapter dedicated to Betherezz. This chapter is a bit longer than the last two, and a bit predictable, but i hope you have fun with it.  
**

**"Abby, I really don't understand why you insisted on coming with me." Tony sighed as they both climbed into his car, "McGee, Ziva and even Palmer can also drive you know; although, I don't blame you for not going with Ziva."**

"I've told you already I love you more." She grinned at him cheekily, "You're taking me home as well you realise."

"I'd guessed, want me to pick you up in the morning as well?" he asked her sarcastically.

"That would be nice…"

"To bad, catch the bus or hitch a ride with McGee, I don't wanna get up any earlier than I have to."

"Fine, have it your way." She pouted, cocking her head to the side.

"Abby I've known you for too long that doesn't work anymore." He smiled, trying to avoid looking at her, he wasn't that good.

"Your no fun." She kept her pout for a few seconds longer before starting to giggle.

* * *

"Really girls I don't feel like going out." Jeanne sighed as she lifted her bag onto her shoulder, her shift had just ended and some of the other doctors were trying to convince her to come out with them.

"You shouldn't mope Jeanne." Helen coaxed, "Come out and forget about that ass."

"He's not an ass," Jeanne found herself saying, "It was just a misunderstanding."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night honey." Monique told her sympathetically, "but you know you want to come out with us."

"Really, I'd rather go home and sleep it off, think about it a bit." She muttered,

"You can think about it, once we have some liquor in you, it'll help." Helen chuckled, grabbing her elbow and steering her towards the door.

"Alright, but I'm not getting wasted again." She laughed a little stiffly, letting her colleagues drag her along with them.

* * *

"You guys are finally here." McGee called as Abby and Tony walked over to the table Palmer, Ziva and McGee were already sitting at.

"Probie, how long have you been here?" Tony asked him good-humouredly

"Awhile."

"Do not lie McGee you got five minutes ago." Ziva told him cheekily.

"Well fine ruin my fun." McGee pouted, causing everyone else to laugh at him.

"You guys got anything to drink yet?" Tony asked as he slid into the booth next to Ziva.

"Yes, we got you two your usuals." Ziva smirked at him

"So who's this round on?" Abby chirped as she climbed over Palmer and then McGee to sit between Ziva and McGee. Ziva and Tony laughed at the two men's disgruntled expressions.

"McGee."

"Ziva." They both called out at the same time.

"Well, this one was defiantly well thought out." Tony quipped, "I vote McCheap gets this round and I'll get next one." McGee glared at him whilst Ziva beamed.

"So are you two dating now or something?" Palmer, trying to break the silence, asked Ziva and Tony, who turned to stare at him in shock.

"WHAT!?!" Ziva cried at the same time Tony scoffed "No."

"Oh, sorry." Palmer blushed, wishing his drink were there for him to hide his face in.

"What gave you that idea?" Tony asked him half curiously half menacingly

"Oh, I just thought the pictures McGee had…" he quickly stopped, realising he was digging a hole for himself and stared at his hands, he had only recently started being invited out with them and he didn't want the invitations to be revoked.

"Palmer." McGee hissed, annoyed at the autopsy assistant.

"Pictures McGee?" Tony leered, leaning across the table towards him, "What pictures?"

"No pictures Tony, at least no pictures of any importance." McGee was saved by the arrival of their drinks.

"Don't think I'm letting this slide Probie." Tony said when the waitress had disappeared.

"What are you planning on doing Tony?" McGee asked warily, he didn't particularly want to be on the receiving end of one of Tony's horrible pranks – not that he should expect anything else after what he'd pulled.

"It's not what I'm _PLANNING_ on doing," Tony winked "You'll find out tomorrow, won't he sweet cheeks." He turned to Ziva and exaggeratedly winked at her causing her to laugh and McGee to suddenly loose all of the colour in his face.

* * *

"See Jeanne, aren't you glad you came out with us." Helen yelled at her friend as they stood at the bar ordering their drinks.

"Okay, so maybe you guys do know what I need more than I do." She reluctantly laughed, brain still half stuck on Tony and wanting to be alone, yet also wanting to be out, taking her mind off him. "Why don't you guys try and find somewhere for us to sit, I'll get the drinks." She suggested, wanting the last seconds of freedom and restraint alone before she let go.

Monique and Helen obliged, happy to leave their friend alone until they got some alcohol in her. They were both talking and laughing about their day until Helen saw something and stopped dead, causing Monique to bump into her.

"Helen, watch where you're going." She moaned,

"Monique, look over there." She gestured to a table of five in the corner, specifically a man and a woman.

"What about them, they look like a cute couple. You can't be _that_ jealous, I thought you and Steve were working on your marriage issues,"

"I'm not jealous Monique, isn't that Tony?"

"Holy crap it is." Monique swore, looking closely at the man "Look at that woman, she's pretty much sitting in his lap."

"She's beautiful." Helen said, "But there's a whole group of them, maybe we're being stupid."

"But she's pretty much _sitting in his lap!_" Monique repeated, louder this time.

"I can see that, but there are five of them at a four person table…"

"Making excuses for him Helen? Does someone have a little crush on Jeanne's boy toy?"

"No," Helen blushed, "I don't, besides we know nothing for sure and we don't want to get Jeanne even more upset."

"Agreed." Monique sighed, "So we never saw anything?"

"We never saw anything."

* * *

"I still can't believe she asked _Palmer_ to dance." Tony moaned to Ziva. They were to only two left in the booth, Abby had dragged McGee off to dance and a busty blonde had appeared and asked Palmer to dance not long after much to Tony's suprise.

"Oh build a bride and get over it Tony." She laughed, playfully smacking him in the arm.

Tony was puzzled for a minute before what she meant clicked. "You mean build a _bridge_."

"Yes, that is what I said."

"No it's not sweet cheeks," he laughed, rubbing her feet, which had somehow ended up shoeless in his lap.

"Whatever." She pouted, closing her eyes and taking another sip of her drink.

* * *

"Don't you feel better now?" Helen giggled as Jeanne finished her fourth drink.

"Much better." Jeanne also giggled giddily,

"What do you think of the guy Monique's dancing with, isn't he yummy?"

"What about Steve?" Jeanne asked cheekily, "and anyway I have my own perfect SON OF A BITCH." She suddenly shrieked

"Jeanne," Helen moaned having jumped and split her drink at Jeanne's sudden outburst, "this was a new dress."

"Who does he think he is, he's supposed to be dating me, he's supposed to love me." She ragged, completely ignoring her friend. Helen gulped, so Jeanne had noticed Tony. She turned her head towards where she knew him to be and was shocked again. The exotic beauty was no longer sitting on him; instead she was stretched out over the seat with her feet in his lap, both of them laughing. Right as the two women were looking they both stopped laughing and the mood turned serious. The woman grabbed Tony's hand and looked straight into his eyes, lips moving.

"WHO DOES THAT BITCH THINK SHE IS." Jeanne screamed, "Trying to steal my man. I'll show her."

"Jeanne, don't do anything stupid." Helen pleaded, desperately searching for Monique to help her calm the livid doctor.

"I'm not going to, I'm just going to give that little slut what she deserves." She stood up, mad glint in her eye.

"Jeanne." Helen pleaded running after her friend "Jeanne."

* * *

"You were a very insecure college boy." Ziva laughed as Tony finished telling her one of his endless supply of stories from his frat boy days.

"I was never insecure." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Of course not Tony." Ziva said quietly, the mood suddenly turning serious. They sat in silence for a few seconds before reached out and grabbed his hands between hers, staring keenly into his eyes, searching.

"What is it about this case that haunts you so?" She asked him softly, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

"It doesn't, it's just a case." He sighed, averting his eyes from hers.

"The truth Tony?" she asked gently, staring at him intently, willing him to look at her.

"I don't know." He sighed again, this time meeting her gaze and squeezing her hands back "It just does."

"I think…" their moment was cut short by the arrival of Abby, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"You guys are such sticks in the mud, come and dance." She cried, slightly slurring her words.

"I do not know Abby." Ziva was tired and just wanted to sit and rest

"Oh come on Zee-Vah, you know you want to." Tony smiled his roguish grin and she felt her resolve slipping away.

"Really, I do not."

"Yes you do." He laughed, reaching over her legs to pick up her heels off the floor. "Now come on."

"Alright then." She laughed as he slid the heels onto her feet, "but only for a couple of songs. I do not think Gibbs would like it if I showed up to work tired."

"Sure, sure." Tony laughed as he helped her to her feet before Abby impatiently dragged them both off to where McGee was waiting.

* * *

"See Jeanne," Helen cried as she caught up with the doctor, "Just friends and they've gone to dance with the scary Goth girl."

"She wants him, but she can't have him." Jeanne hissed

"Please don't cause a scene." Helen pulled on her arm, "They're dancing with their friends just leave them be."

"Fine, fine." She grumbled "but if she lays one finger on him…"

"Let's just go back to the table and get one more drink." Helen led her friend away and searched the crowd again for Monique. If the woman so much as touched Tony again she wouldn't know what hit her before it was to late.

* * *

"See Ziva this is fuuuun." Abby cried as she jumped around to the song that was playing, before rushing off to find Palmer. Ziva just shot Tony an amused look, Abby was drunk and was obviously crashing at one of their houses, just like she did every time they went out.

"McGee." Ziva and Tony turned towards the other field agent.

"Oh no, not me." He stuck his hands up "I took her last time."

"No actually I did." Ziva reminded him

"Yea, and I brought her here this evening, and into work this morning."

"She wasn't drunk then." He protested

"Yea, but you owe me Mcshortstraw." Tony laughed, "So make sure not to be to loud in the morning."

"She's still pretty sober at the moment, well sober for Abby" McGee said hopefully.

"The better she is now the worse she'll feel in the morning." Tony taunted,

"Hey guys," Abby called, towing a dazed looking Palmer behind her who in turn was pulling of the blonde woman from before along, "look who I found."

"What skill that must have required Abby." Tony quipped, as the closing notes of the last song played.

The opening notes of Maybe Tomorrow began to float across the floor, "This is when I go back to the table." Ziva said as the people around them began to dance slowly, leaving McGee, Abby, Ziva and Tony standing in the middle of the crowd.

"Come on Ziva stay, dance with Tony." Abby cried, grabbing her hand before she could leave.

"I do not feel like it Abby, plus Tony does not want to dance either." She said, as Tony shook his head in agreement.

"Come on guys, loosen up." She pouted

"Not happening Abby." Tony said, tapping her on the nose.

"Come on please, I'll buy the next round." Her whining had no effect on Tony and Ziva who turned return to the table, "Alright. I'll buy all of your rounds next time we go out."

"Why do you want us to dance so much?" Tony asked her curiously.

"Just because, do you want those drinks or not?" she asked him, a little cross at the lengths she'd had to go to.

Ziva and Tony looked at each other and shrugged, "Free drinks why not." He said, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Yay." Abby squealed, grabbing McGee and dragging him off to dance with her.

Tony and Ziva danced in silence for a little while, both just enjoying the music and the short break from the case. They both knew that case was going to hit them hard, and that Gibbs wouldn't give them another break until it was solved.

* * *

"Jeanne, they're not going to do anything." Monique sighed, Helen had dragged her away from the gorgeous stranger to make sure Jeanne didn't do anything stupid and she wasn't happy about it.  
"Yea, you should trust your boyfriend." Helen piped up, about ready to return home, her broken family life was looking better than this.

"I do trust Tony, I just don't trust the gorgeous whore he's with." Jeanne snapped, eyes following Ziva and Tony's every move.

"See look." She all but yelled a few minutes later, "that whore has got him to dance with her, he won't even dance with _me_."

"Jeanne, relax it's not like they're doing anything…" as Monique had been talking the mystery girl had stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in Tony's ear, causing him to grin slyly and whisper something back to her. The woman appeared to giggle and Tony grinned wider.

Jeanne saw red. She stood up so abruptly that her chair fell to the floor.

"Oh no." Helen moaned quietly as Jeanne began to stride across the club.

"This woman must have a death wish." Monique sighed, "because there is no way she's a match for an angry Jeanne.

* * *

"Look at Abby and McGee." Ziva stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Tony's ear, "are they not cute." Tony felt a smirk creep onto his face

"You can't help but play matchmaker can you?" he whispered back so not be overheard by certain people.

"They need a matchmaker." She told him mater of factly,

"The mystical Ziva, making matches since moving to America." Tony mocked, causing Ziva to laugh quietly.

"But do you not agree everyone can see it but them." She prompted; Tony opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the arrival of Abby

"Everyone can see what but who?" Abby chirped, almost crashing into the two of them

"Umm, everyone can see that blonde is no good for Palmer, except him." Tony suggested, thankfully Abby was past the point of realising how weak he sounded.

"True, why do men always go for the wrong girls." Abby sighed, "McGee just left. Said to tell you, well I can't remember what he said." She giggled in a very un-Abby like way.

"Bastard." Tony muttered under his breath "Well I think he has the right idea, it's about time to leave." He began to lead Abby back to grab her bag, Ziva close on his right.

* * *

Jeanne thought she'd been seen when the three of them began to walk away from her, but breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear they were actually just returning to their table. When she realised that they were leaving she smirked; now she could confront that bitch when Tony left and give her a piece of her mind. She looked like the weakest of the three, she was sure she could take her.

"See you in the morning then sweet cheeks." Tony was saying to the woman.  
"Bright and early as always Tony." She smirked at him, and he gave her a cocky grin in return. The three of them began to walk out together and Jeanne followed close behind. To her despair she realised the woman was parked next to Tony and she wouldn't be able to get her alone.

"Have fun tonight, my little hairy butt." The exotic beauty winked at him,

"Sure you don't wanna come over as well?" He asked her hopefully.

"No, not at all. I think you deserve some punishment."

"Abby's never punishment Zee-Vah." Tony told her, grinning in a way Jeanne had never see before. So the woman's name was Ziva.

"So you can take her always then Tony."

"Nice try Ziva, goodnight." He laughed, pecking her on the cheek as she hoped into her little mini and sped away.

Jeanne stood in the shadow of the building completely shocked, tears spilling down her face, noisy sobs wracking her body. So her really was cheating on her with the Ziva woman, every morning by the sound of it. She felt retched, ugly and like her heart had been ripped out. She was distraught.

* * *

"Are you gonna tell me about the ugly girl now Tony?" Abby asked as he watched Ziva speed away,

"In the morning, when you can remember." Tony sighed dragging his eyes back to abby, completely missing the insult.

"Are we going back to your house now? I don't wannna stay at mine." She whined.

"No," Tony said, "I have an even better idea."

"I'm listening." She singsonged.

"How would you like to append the night at Gibbs'?"

**A/N: There we go, what did you think of that. I think I'm gonna start doing with this what i did with my Harry Potter stories, review for a preview of the next chapter, also share your ideas and i might love them enough to put them in the story. Still looking for a beta, and my school work load is getting heavier but I'm going to try my damndest to update once a week**

**xoxo**


	4. Oh my Gosh, my days are getting longer

**A/N: Chapter dedicated to my lovely beta Tiva4lifexx **

"Don't you just love working Saturday mornings?" Tony moaned as he and Ziva stepped out of the elevator.

"I do not mind," she said, shrugging, "I do not do much on Saturday mornings anyway."

"You don't sleep in?" Tony asked incredulously, as he dropped his sunglasses and keys onto his desk, sweeping them as always into the top draw.

"No, I am up at 5:30 to run, you know this. I do it every morning."

"Ah, but you didn't run yesterday morning," Tony pointed out childishly.

"I make exceptions for you sometimes."

She shrugged like it was nothing; however she wouldn't meet his eyes, afraid they would give her away.

"Make exceptions for who?" McGee asked, a new leather jacket flung over his arm.

"Good morning McFlashy," Tony teased as he sent the other agent his best 'I'm up to something' grin, "that's a nice jacket you got there."

"Tony you cannot insult McGee for dressing nicely when you dress the same way," Ziva scolded her partner as she drifted over to stand next to him.

"You didn't put superglue on my keyboard again did you?" McGee asked Tony, suspicious of the glare he was sending him.

"Of course not McGee, do you really think that low of me?" Tony asked as McGee tapped at the keyboard with a pencil, just to be sure, "I would like to think I'm a bit more original than that." He winked as Ziva laughed, knowing full well he was up to something, yet not quite sure the exact details.

"Who is the main suspect on the case again?" McGee asked, changing the subject as he pushed down on the seat of his chair.

"The boyfriend, McAlzheimers," Tony smirked,

"So where is he?" Gibbs barked appearing behind Tony.

"My guess is at home," Tony said, turning around slowly to face his boss.

"So why are you two still here?" he said dangerously quiet, sending a glare towards Ziva this time.

"Right, on it Boss," Tony called, as he scrambled to grab his gear.

"I am driving," Ziva called, grabbing the keys out of Gibbs hand.

"Not a chance Zee-Vah. You left me with Abby last night, so you owe me," he laughed, plucking the keys from her fingers.

"Who was left with Abby last night DiNozzo?" Gibbs called.

"You were boss," Tony gulped.

"So I get to drive," Ziva said gleefully, snatching the keys back from his hand before he even realised they were gone

* * *

Tony let out a low whistle when they arrived at the Stevens' house, impressed by what he saw.

"Would you look at this place!" he said appreciatively towards the house.

"Tony, did you not grow up with money?" Ziva asked him as she climbed out of the car.

"Yeah, but I had nothing compared to this," he said, still in awe. When Ziva sent him a questioning gaze he elaborated, if not a little sadly, "daddy dearest was rarely home, he preferred to spend his money on luxurious hotel rooms."

"Oh," Ziva said, "shall we go get this Alex then?"

"Now that's what I like to hear," Tony said, smirking as the two of them walked the long path to the door. For people with a lot of money, Tony thought, the Stevens were obviously not very worried about security.

When they rung the bell the door was answered by an attractive looking red haired maid.

"Can I help you?" she asked them, her eyes silently appraising Tony

"We need to speak to Alex," Tony said, lifting his sunglasses off his eyes to give her a charming wink.

"I'm sorry Mr. Alex isn't here at the moment," she told them eventually, scolding Tony with her eyes.

"Oh, are you sure? Because we really need to talk to him," Tony whispered, leaning towards her slightly.

"Mr. Stevens doesn't want anyone to see Alex at the moment," The maid told them, seeming almost ashamed of what she had said.

"Oh I think he'll be seeing us." Tony leant back as he pulled out his badge. "Special Agents DiNozzo and David, NCIS."  
"Oh," the maid said, turning bright red, "Follow me then."

"What happened to no longer flirting to get things you want?" Ziva whispered harshly to Tony as the maid lead them up two flights of stairs.

"I wasn't flirting!" Tony said defensively, "alright maybe I was," he said, giving in and sticking up his hands at the look she sent him.

"I thought you did not do that now because of your 'serious relationship'."

"I wasn't, but then I decided you were right," he shrugged, "if it helps solve a case then it can't be that problematic."

"I did not say that!" she denied, shaking her head vigorously.

"Um, yeah you did; you jealous or something?" he asked teasingly.

"No," she scoffed.

"Agent DiNozzo, he is in here," the maid said, gesturing to a huge set of white double doors.

Tony and Ziva walked through the doors not at all surprised to find Alex Stevens sitting on a plush leather couch playing on a gaming console. They were however surprised to find Claire Daniels sitting beside him, tear tracks still running down her face.

"Who are you?" Claire asked, her voice croaky. She was the first one to notice them, "and how did you get in?"

"I thought I told Elizabeth to tell everyone I wasn't here, especially you press vultures!" Alex turned towards the two agents, in a way that probably would have intimidated anyone else.

"I'm sure you did," Ziva told him simply, her face displaying a neutral expression, showing she wasn't intimidated by Alex.

"But I showed her this and she let us straight in," Tony said as he reached towards his belt to grab his badge but not before Alex managed to pull a gun from between the cushions and point it at him; before he could blink both federal agents had pulled their own guns on him.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, NCIS," Tony said authoritatively, flashing his badge, "put down the gun."

Eyeing them nervously Alex slowly placed the gun on the ground and kicked it away.

"Smart move," Ziva said, moving forwards and picking it up in one fluid movement, "now we would like to ask you some questions."

* * *

Ziva sat at her desk checking into the alibis of Melanie's family. At the moment she was the only one in the bullpen, Tony and Gibbs where in interrogation and McGee was helping Abby in the lab.

Suddenly Tony's jacket, which was flung over the back of his chair, began to vibrate, startling Ziva. She stood up from her desk cautiously, it took a second for her to register that it was probably Tony's second phone ringing. She shrugged and sat back down; she would let him know it had been ringing when he came back. However, soon after it rang again, and again, and again. Ziva finally got frustrated and stalked over to the jacket, roughly pulling the phone out of the pocket, debating whether or not to answer it, ignore it, or chuck the damn thing out the window, before her curiosity won out and she pressed the answer button.

"Hello, this is Tony's phone."

"Well I'm _looking_ for Tony," a nasally voice snapped at her.

"I'm sorry he is busy at the moment, would you like me to take a message for you?" Ziva smiled to herself, so this was Tony' mystery woman.

"No I would like to talk to Tony," the woman snapped yet again; Ziva honestly couldn't see what Tony saw in her.

"Tony is otherwise occupied at the moment, do you want me to take a message or not?" Ziva answered, letting a little bit of the annoyance and venom she was feeling creep into her voice.

"Alright fine can you tell him that Jeanne called and to remind him about our date this afternoon?"

"Is that all?" Ziva asked sweetly.

"Yeah, that's it. Who are you anyway, his secretary?"

Ziva scoffed to herself, _secretary my ass_. "No, I am Ziva David, Tony's partner. I will remember to pass on your message," she spat, hanging up and leaving an even more confused Jeanne clutching her phone with the dial tone ringing in her ear.

"Zee-Vah, what are you doing?" Tony asked, for once in his life managing to catch the Mossad ninja by surprise.

"Answering your phone," she said, quickly recovering her composure.

"That's my personal phone," he pointed out, extending his hand to grab it.

"It kept ringing and annoying me, so I answered it," she shrugged as she handed it over

"And who was it?" he asked, already knowing full well the answer.

"Joan or someone," Ziva shrugged, deliberately getting her name wrong, "she said to remind you about your date this afternoon."

"Oh crap!" Tony swore, running his hands through his hair, "I'm going to have to cancel on her again."

"That is not very good planning," Ziva teased, grinning cheekily at him.

"What did you tell her?" he asked, suddenly realizing how badly his lives could get crossed here.

"Nothing," Ziva shrugged, "just that I would pass on the message. Oh and when she asked if I was you secretary I set her straight."

"You set her straight how?" Tony asked, panicking slightly while falling back into his chair.

"I told her the truth. My name and that I was your partner."

"Oh no," Tony murmured, putting his head in his hands

"Why should that worry you?" Ziva asked confused, "surely she's smart enough to know that NCIS agents have partner?"

Tony opened his mouth to speak but was cut short as Gibbs came breezing into the bullpen, McGee close on his heels.

"What have we got?" he barked, distracting Tony from his personal problems, and from a certain cell phone call.

* * *

"So Alex Stevens said he was home by himself all day; his parents were out and the maid had the day off," Tony said sarcastically, clearing showing he did not believe their suspect, as he filled the other two in on the information they had gotten in interrogation.

"No witnesses, no one he said could back up his claim?" McGee asked.

"No one at all, he swears he didn't do it but has absolutely no proof," Tony shrugged

"Ziva, what have you got on the parents?" Gibbs interrupted, frustrated at having to hear what he already knew.

"Their alibi is stone solid…"

"Rock solid Ziva," Tony corrected, earning a glare from Ziva and a head-slap from Gibbs, "Sorry boss, Ziva, continue."

"Anyway, their alibi is _rock _solid. The couple they were with said they did not leave the table the whole time they were out and the waiter can also verify they were there. According to the time stamp on the ATM camera across the street they arrived at the restaurant at 7 and left at 10."

"So they didn't do it."

"You think McGee," Gibbs said in a way that told the three agents that they were telling him what he already knew, "what about the sister?"

"She spent the weekend at a friend's house; her friend said she didn't leave until her mother came to collect her after her sister's body had been found."

"McGee, check the Stevens' and Daniels' records, Tony, make a list of any enemies Lieutenant Daniels may have made and Ziva, do the same for Melanie," Gibbs barked at them before walking off to visit Abby.

"Great," Tony sighed "now Jeanne's going to be even more pissed at me, by the looks of it, I'm going to have to miss another date."

"It's not your fault, there is nothing you can do," Ziva shrugged, "why does it matter anyway, is she not understanding?"

"It's just the third time this month I've had to take a rain check for work."

"Does she not understand you are serving your country?" Ziva asked him, "does she not get that what you are doing is far bigger than just you and her?" appease

Tony just grunted and sat down at his desk, ignoring the skeptical look Ziva threw his way. For now he had work to do, so he would deal with a confused, angry Jeanne and an increasingly suspicious Ziva later; much later.

**A/N: Hope you liked that chapter, and I hope i got a nice balance between work and social. This is early but because of my assignments, plus I've been really sick and still am, and my beta's exams the next chapter might be a bit longer than a week. Thank you guys so much for the reviews and alerts, i'm gonna do the same thing for this chapter, review for a preview of the next chapter. I have nothing else to say, so hope you enjoyed and you can hang tight, but i promise i will get SOMETHING this fortnight, because i love you guys.**

**x **


	5. Stop talking that Blah Blah Blah

**A/N: Sorry about the delays and the shortness but i thought you guys would rather something short than nothing**

"Freaking hell this is pointless," Tony grumbled, leaning back in his chair.

"I do not think Gibbs would ask you to do something pointless Tony, there must be a reason," Ziva pointed out, McGee nodding in agreement.

"Fine, well I have found no reason for anyone to have a grudge against Daniels. He's fair, never done anything wrong and never had an altercation with anyone," he sighed, "what about Melanie?"

"By the looks of it, she is the opposite. There were many people who did not think she should be dating the boyfriend, pissed some people off, especially the cheer captain before her, and many were jealous of her."

"Sounds like some cheesy teen flick," Tony commented

"It sounds like Bring It On," McGee suggested.

"Of all the teen movies," Tony turned to face McGee in shock, "you had to choose that one McLame?"

"Out of all the nicknames, all you could come up with was McLame?" McGee taunted Tony.

"Yes, because that movie is _lame_ and it is_ lame _that you chose it," Tony said as he stood up and stretched, "and don't think I've forgotten, I'm still watching you Probie," he half hissed, picking up a paper bag of his desk.

"Where are you going?" Ziva asked him, when it became clear his destination was the elevator.

"To visit Abby," he shrugged, "stretch my legs and get away from you bores." Tony winked as he headed for the elevator and rode it down to Abby's lab.

* * *

"Tony, you brought me a cookie!" Abby cried as Tony walked into the lab.

"I brought you a packet actually," he said, grinning cheekily at her, "the rest are in my desk, ready to be used for blackmail at a later date."

Abby didn't even bat an eyelid; instead she grabbed the cookie out of his hand and started to munch on it, looking at him with expectant eyes.

"What?"' he asked, raising his hands in the air as if surrendering.

"You, spill, now," Abby commanded through mouthfuls of cookies.  
"Ohhh, that's right, I promised you information," Tony said, as if just remembering his reason for visiting the lab.

"Yes. So tell," Abby nodded, choosing to ignore his blatant lie.

"Alright, what to tell, what to tell, hmmmmm," Tony said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin but making it somehow sound and look comical, "how about we start with this. Her name is Jeanne and she's a doctor."

Abby stared at him, as if expecting him to elaborate and when he didn't she blinked.

"That's it?" she whined, "that's all I get?"

"I have to make sure I can trust you," he said, winking, "so if Ziva or McGee drop any hints or if Jeanne complains of being stalked then I'll stop."

He smirked at her, clearly showing that he was giving no more information.

"Tony," Abby gasped dramatically, clutching at her chest, "you hurt me deeply."

"That was the point," he laughed at her injured expression, "but I have to go before Gibbs decides I'm slacking off and I don't get to see Jeanne tomorrow."

He began to walk away, pausing to call over his shoulder, "and that is not an invitation for you to track my car to her place."

"You ruin all my fun!" he heard Abby call with a pout in her voice as he stepped into the lift.  
He smiled at her antics as the doors shut, and he made his way up to the bull pen in a thoughtful silence.

* * *

"Where have you been DiNozzo?" Gibbs barked at his senior field agent when he returned to his desk.  
"Down in the lab with Abby," Tony shrugged walking up to stand with the other three agents, "she hasn't found anything yet by the way."

"Well yeah DiNozzo, if she found something she'd have called me. Whaddya you got?"

Tony and Ziva quickly filled him in on their findings, or lack thereof.

"McGee, have you been any more useful than these two?" Gibbs asked impatiently after listening to what Tony and Ziva had found.

"Not really Boss," McGee said nervously, flicking the records onto the plasma, "as you would expect lots of calls between the Stevens' and Daniels' house. Nothing suspicious, since Melanie was dating Alex calling each other was to be expected. No suspicious bank records for either of them and no unexplained or unusual calls," McGee shrugged.

"So basically we have no motive," DiNozzo said shrugging, "well this is going just swimmingly."

"Of course there's a motive DiNozzo," Gibbs said, not even bothering with a head-slap, instead choosing to send a Gibbs glare.

"Yeah, but we don't know what it is," Tony shrugged again, though this time it was half-hearted.

"Well then find it DiNozzo."

"Now," Tony asked sceptically, "at umm… 10 o'clock at night?"

"Yes DiNozzo, now," Gibbs snapped.

"How?"

"Use that brain of yours. I'm sure you have one, hidden somewhere in there," Gibbs suggested threateningly, before stomping out of the bullpen.

"Seriously, where does he go when he storms out of here?" Tony asked as soon as Gibbs was out of ear shot.  
"Who knows," McGee shrugged, walking to sit back down at his desk, "but we better find a motive because I do want to go home this weekend."

* * *

"Anything new Duck?" Gibbs asked walking into autopsy just as Ducky was packing up for the night, having passed Palmer on his way to the elevator.

"Nothing of significance Jethro," Ducky sighed, placing his hat and bag back on his desk, "Abby is testing the blood and there is not much more that I can tell you besides what you already know," Ducky sighed, "Jethro you know this, so why is your team still here?"

"Because we need to find a damn motive!" Gibbs snapped, feeling like banging his hand on the desk in frustration.

"The motive can wait 'till the morning, your team needs rest," Ducky told him gently, "you can't let your feelings get in the way of your team's well being."  
"They've pulled all nighters before," Gibbs shrugged as if it was nothing.

"When they've had things to do, right now they're pulling at straws," Ducky laid his hand on his friends arm.

"Fine, they can go home but they better work damn hard in the morning," Gibbs grumbled, shrugging of his friends hand and striding off to let his team know they could go.

**A/N: I feel so bad for making you wait longer for this chapter, and for even the preview Both me and my Beta had exams and i've been sixk. It's one of the shortest crapest most pointless things i've ever written. On the bright side the next chapter is more than half way done and already longer than this :D, so review for a preview as always, and this time it's already written so you will get it STRAIGHT AWAY.**

**Until next time [which is hopefully sooner]**

**x**


	6. How can i decide what's right?

**A/N: this update is quicker than the last one i just really really like this chapter and want to see your reactions. Important A/N at the bottom so please read that. But for the time being hope you enjoy this as much as i loved writing it**

* * *

"Do you think Abby has gotten anything out of Tony yet?"

McGee looked up at Ziva, to see a curious expression on her face. The two of them were sitting at their desks early on Sunday morning, there was no sign of Tony or Gibbs yet so Ziva had let her curiosity get the best of her.  
"No," McGee said as if stating the obvious, "if she had she would have told us by now."

"Are you sure," Ziva asked "she can be subtle about it?"  
"Maybe, maybe not," McGee shrugged, "but she's the most likely to get anything out of him."

"Most likely to get what, out of who, Probie?" Tony asked, breezing into the bullpen.

"You are late," Ziva told him flatly.

"So what, have you started work?" Tony asked, when she didn't reply he knew the answer was no and he shrugged, "exactly so I'm not late."

"Have you found anything for me?" Gibbs asked, suddenly walking into the bullpen.

"What exactly are we meant to be looking for boss?" Tony asked, "we have nothing to go on until Abby has finished in the lab."

"Well look some more, dig deeper, do _something_," Gibbs barked, "I just need new information."

He gave them all a quick glare before storming out.

"What's got him so testy?" McGee asked watching his boss' retreating form.

"He's always testy," Tony shrugged, "you should be used to it by now."

"Yes, but he's usually not that bad unless you screw up really badly," McGee said, indicating towards Tony.

"Hey! I'm offended by that," Tony sniffed.

"Get over it, McGee has a point," Ziva said, joining in the men's conversation, "Gibbs is especially grumpy."

"He always gets like this when we're investigating murders of young girls," Tony said softly, "I guess it's painful for him."

"You are right," Ziva said surprised, "why have I never noticed before."

"You weren't looking I guess," Tony shrugged staring straight into her soul, "and I guess I can relate."

Ziva opened her mouth to respond, dumbfounded, when Tony's phone began to ring breaking the moment.

"Hello," Tony flipped open his phone, still staring at Ziva.

"Oh Jeanne, yeah I know we need to talk."

* * *

The team were just about ready to claw their eyes out when the call came.

Abby finally had some fingerprints. They all rushed down to the lab as fast as dignity allowed. Gibbs was glad they had a lead to solve the case, everyone else just wanted to have something _useful _to do.

Abby smirked at the slightly breathless team as they all piled into the lab, not hiding their eagerness very well. Luckily for them, Gibbs was too preoccupied on the forensics to notice.

"What have you got for me Abbs?"

"Well I dusted the sword handle for prints. Other than Lieutenant Daniels' prints there were also Melanie's slightly bloody ones. It looks like she grabbed at the sword before she died," Abby said sympathetically.

Ziva gasped, her hand automatically reaching out to interlock with Tony's. She didn't know why she did it, what was giving her these reactions, why she was seeking out Tony for comfort or why she even needed it in the first place. She had seen a lot more gruesome things than this in the past and they hadn't affected her this much.

"These don't help us Abbs," Gibbs snapped. Abby drew her eyes away from Tony and Ziva's entwined hands and continued.

"Right, but there are other partial prints on the blade, not the handle," Abby said, flicking the print onto the screen, "They match a Lieutenant Percy Harvey."

"Great work Abbs," Gibbs praised the scientist, pecking her on the cheek, before barking, "DiNozzo, David go and bring Harvey in for questioning."

* * *

"You alright Zee?" Tony asked, pulling Ziva aside just as she was about to follow McGee into the observation room.

"Yes Tony, I am fine," she smiled at him, "why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno. That's why I am asking," he said half snarky, half sympathetic.

"It is sweet of you to be concerned but really, I am fine," she smiled reassuringly at him, "now come, let us see if Gibbs can break Harvey. I would very much like to see the end of this case."

* * *

"Lieutenant Harvey," Gibbs said, walking into interrogation slowly and with purpose.

"What do you want?" Percy Harvey was a tall dark haired man in his mid-thirties, he would have been considered attractive except for a dark scar running down the left side of his face.

"I want to know why your finger prints are all over the murder weapon found at a murder scene," Gibbs stared at him, not breaking eye contact

"We talking about Daniels' kids here?" he asked.

"Yes we are. Now answer my question."

"What murder weapon?" he smirked, "I heard there were five."

"The sword," Gibbs told him slowly as if he was thick.

"Oh, well that might be because it's _my_ sword," Harvey said rolling his eyes.

"Why do you own a sword?" Gibbs asked him dangerous edge in his voice. This man was pissing him off for his total lack of sympathy and sarcastic manner towards the brutal case.

"It's for decoration. Totally legal."

"Alright then, why does Daniels have your sword?"

"I dunno, you'd have to ask him," he leered.

Suddenly Gibbs got up to leave and as he did so did Harvey.

"No you stay," Gibbs told him forcefully walking out the interrogation room with an interesting expression on his face

* * *

Tony walked up to Jeanne's door hesitantly; Gibbs had let the team go for the night on time after deciding there was nothing more they could get from Harvey. Currently Abby was the only one besides Gibbs still at the office and that was only because she refused to leave before she got the blood test or more fingerprints back. Tony started to wish he had taken up Ziva's offer to go to her place for dinner with Palmer, McGee and Ducky. He'd much rather be there, comfortable with the people he loved, than here, almost certain to get into a fight with his girlfriend.

He sighed, sure that if he didn't do it now he would never knock on her door, and rapped his knuckles against the hard wood. Seconds later the door opened to reveal an angry and upset looking Jeanne.

"Tony, come in," she told him stiffly, shutting the door after him. Tony stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room, not exactly sure what to do with himself or what to say. Jeanne saved him the trouble by blowing up straight away.

"Who's Ziva?" she asked him confrontationally.

"A co-worker," he told her honestly.

"Oh really," Jeanne said drawing out the last word as she struggled to keep her voice calm, "because that's not what it looked like, and it's certainly not what she said."

"I know what you saw on Friday was very ah… incriminating but really it has a perfectly good explanation."

"Does it now?" she scoffed, "because I for one would love to hear it."

"Ziva is very proficient in martial arts. And umm, she mistook something I did for a come-on."

Jeanne's face grew stonier than Tony thought possible, mistaking his embarrassment for a cover-up.

"She mistook something you said?" Jeanne asked disbelieving, unable to fight the angry waver in her voice, "alright even if that _is _the truth, explain what happened on Friday night."

"Friday night?" Tony asked, genuinely confused.

"Yeah you know, you went out with a bunch of people from work and got very cosy with this Ziva."

"You were there?" Tony asked, horrified that she had heard something that would blow his cover. He'd managed to keep both his lives separate relatively easily but somehow in the last three days they had become horribly and dangerously entwined. "What did you hear?"

"Enough," she snorted, "I saw the two of you have your moment, and I saw you dance with her," her voice suddenly took on a sad tone, "you've never danced with me."

"Come one Jeanne, Abby put us up to it. You can't say no to Abby."

"The scary Goth lady? Isn't she a bit old to be playing dress up?"

"Hey, you don't even know her so don't go there. Do I insult your friends?" Tony snapped, annoyed she was taking her anger out on Abby.

"That's just it Tony. I _don't_ know your friends. You've never introduced me to them."

"That's not the point Jeanne; the point is you're making accusations and assumptions because you saw me _dance_ with a work colleague."

For some reason Tony was pissed at the assumptions she was making. Logically he knew he probably would have come to the same conclusion but her jealousy was irritating him. It wasn't endearing or sexily possessive as it usually was; now it was downright annoying.

"I didn't just see you dance with her," Jeanne said, her voice taking on a hysterical note, "you wanted her to come to your house. You were going to meet with her in the morning."

"Oh for god sake Jeanne!" Tony snapped, finally fed-up, "I wanted her to help me deal with our drunk friend, and she's a work colleague so obviously I am going to see her in the morning, _at work__."_

"On a Saturday Tony? You're a damn teacher you don't work weekends!" she shrieked, her voice reaching an octave Tony didn't think possible.

"News flash honey, I do," he yelled, loosing complete control over his temper.

"Oh really Tony, what do you do at a college on a Saturday when there are no classes to teach?"

Tony opened his mouth, mind racing for an answer to her question, when his phone began to ring. Shooting Jeanne an annoyed look he flipped it open and barked.

"DiN... uh, Tony."

Jeanne heard a muffled female voice speak through Tony's cell and her eyes narrowed.

"Now Ziva?" Tony asked frustrated, "can't it wait?"

Tony saw his girlfriend's mouth form a thin line at the mention of Ziva's name and could practically hear thinking _this is not helping your case._

"Zee-vah! I'm kinda busy," he said, glancing at Jeanne who was growing both angrier and more distressed by the second, especially at the hint of fondness in her boyfriend's tone when he used a seemingly personal nickname for his co-worker.

Jeanne figured out the general gist of the conversation and mentally decided that if Tony left, things were going to the ugly.

"Awww crap!" he swore, before sighing, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Before Ziva had a chance to respond Jeanne exploded, every word she was yelling at Tony perfectly audible through the cell.  
"TONY DINARDO DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE THIS ROOM!"

"DiNardo?" Tony heard Ziva question softly through the phone and he sighed, his web of lies wasn't going to hold up much longer. Ignoring Ziva, he answered his angry girlfriend.

"Jeanne I have to go."

"My ass you have to go!" she yelled, "what is she, your booty call? That desperate for sex that she calls you when you're with your girlfriend, blowing your secret out of the water?"

"Jeanne, enough," Tony said his voice now deathly quiet "do not disrespect my co-workers and _friends_ like that. Obviously you don't trust me, but I'm going whether you like it or not."

Jeanne stared at Tony, completely speechless towards this new side of him. Still maintaining cold eye contact with her he deliberately lifted the phone up to his ear only to hear a stunned silence.  
"Ziva, you still there?" he asked, the icy chill still present in his voice.

"Yes," she whispered, completely shocked at what she was hearing.  
"Great, I'll be there in 10 minutes," he said, his voice gaining some warmth back, "and you better wait for me, otherwise McScrewed won't be the only one on my list."  
"You would not dare Tony," she said both confidently and warningly, causing him to laugh.

"Of course I wouldn't, but you're still going to wait."

She could hear his grin through the phone and she grinned in response. This was the Tony she knew.

"Maybe… if you hurry up and leave know," she said cheekily.  
"Bye Zee," he grinned, hanging up. He looked back at Jeanne's tear stained face, as if daring her to try and stop him. She just stared back, desperation and despair evident in her eyes. And with that he wordlessly turned away from her and strode out the door. Shutting it behind him with a gentle but resounding click.

**A/N: So did you like that. Last chapter i only got 4 reviews. i thought you guys liked this story more than that. The next chapter is half done but i dunno... Review and i shall give you an alternative scene from this chapter AND a preview.  
IMPORTANT: Do you think i need to change the summary to better reflect the story? Please give me an answer -and suggestions on what to change it to and i shall reward you, probably with a sneak peak of the NEW NCIS fic i am working on.**

**thanks**

**x**


	7. been the inside of out but we breathe

**A/N: Ok here is the beta'd chapter sorry it took so long. and it's report season ATM so you might have to wait 2 weeks for another update - and im on camp next week *shudder* But then it's hollidays and i'll try update at least twice a week :P**

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Tony drove to the navy yard as fast as possible, knowing that whatever Abby had found must be very important, well, important enough for Gibbs to call them in at 11 o'clock at night. Just as Tony pulled into his parking space, Ziva jumped out of her Mini Cooper.

Just what he needed, another interrogation.

"So, did Gibbs say what Abby had?" Tony asked as she made her way to his side.

"He did not, just that it was very important," Ziva shrugged.

"Figures he wouldn't," Tony mumbled, mimicking her action as the elevator arrived and they both stepped in. As soon as the doors shut Ziva asked the question he knew was coming.  
"So, were you with your girlfriend?"

Her tone was nonchalant but her eyes probed him, making him feel very uncomfortable.

"Yes," he told her, staring at the office door.

"Do you know very much about this woman?"

"Curious Ziva?" he teased, trying to throw her off, "and you know her name. Use it."  
"I am curious," Ziva reached over and stopped the elevator, "I was wondering how much you know about her if she did not even know your surname."

"What do you mean she doesn't know my surname?"

Tony was an expert at getting these little white lies past Ziva and hoped she would buy it this time. He really didn't need his cover blown. He could trusted Ziva implicitly, but he knew she just might feel obliged to share with Gibbs and he couldn't risk that.

Ziva's answer broke through his inner conflict, bringing him back to reality.

"Your surname. She called you Tony DiNardo not DiNozzo."

"Are you sure you're hearing alright?" Tony turned to face Ziva, looking her in the eye for the first time since the unfortunately overheard phone call.

"I am sure of what I heard."  
"Well apparently not." Tony leaned over her and flicked the lift on, "because she said DiNozzo."

"Well why did she not let you go? Does she not understand the importance of your job?"

Luckily Tony was saved when the lift arrived at Abby's lab. He really didn't want to lie to Ziva or any of the team more than he had to.

"About time you two got here," Gibbs snapped as the two of them walked into the lab, "Abs what have you got for us?"

"Well I got the results of the blood test," she told them soberly, staring almost blankly at her keyboard which was an extremely unusual way for her to behave.

"What about them Abby?" Gibbs asked gently, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. Tony walked up to stand slightly behind Abby on her other side and McGee and Ziva also moved in closer.

"There were extremely high levels of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate or GHB in her blood," she told them, her voice completely void of emotion.

They all stood in shock for a second before Tony vocalised what they'd all been thinking.

"So that means Melanie was-" he was cut off from finishing his sentence by Abby who flung herself at him sobbing gently.

"Hey, hey," he cooed trying to soothe her and curious as to why this was having such an effect on her.

"It appears that way," Gibbs nodded, grey eyes turbulent.

This was going to be a long case.

* * *

"What is it you have for me Duck?" Gibbs asked, entering autopsy straight from the lab. He had left DiNozzo to comfort a distraught Abby and had sent McGee and Ziva upstairs to continue working on leads and looking into Harvey's alibi.

"Well Jethro, from the look in your eyes I assume you already know what I'm about to tell you."

"Yeah, well, you know what they say about assumptions Duck."

"Well judging from the faint lacerations on her arms I would say that her arms and legs were bound. See these marks here," he pointed to marks just above her elbow, "appear to be somewhat old and faded."

"So they aren't relevant?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"On the contrary Jethro, though not related to her cause of death they could be indictors of a motive."

"Mmhmmm, what was the other thing you wanted to tell me?" Gibbs all but snapped at his old friend.

"Well, see on her wrists and ankles, there are newer lacerations, fresher. I missed them before because I hadn't had a chance to finish my autopsy, plus they had been cleaned before we got there," Ducky sighed sympathetically.

"The killer was trying to cover the fact he bound her," Gibbs said monotonously.

"Precisely Jethro," Ducky nodded solemnly,

"Dammit," Gibbs swore, slamming his hand on the empty autopsy table next to him.

* * *

Tony leant his head against the cool elevator door, grateful for some time to himself. No horrible murder, no curious teammates, no frustrated boss but most of all no angry, nagging girlfriend. He had left Abby in her lab; she was now determined to test all the food and drink samples collected from the house to trace the source of the drug.

This case seemed to re-awakening horrible memories for them all. McGee of all people seemed to be the least affected by the horrible case and that was a first. Gibbs was surely thinking of his own daughter, murdered too young. Ziva, well, she never dealt with the murder of young girls particularly well and now that a sexual assault was possibly involved, he was sure she would feel it all the more surreally. She never said anything but Tony got it, and he was willing to bet his job that it had to do with the teenage sister that she lost to some sick bastards.

Abby, he didn't know what her deal was but Tony was sure that she would either deal with it with the help of Gibbs and he would never know, or she would come to him when he was ready. Whatever the scientist chose he didn't care as long as she resolved it for herself.

Now he had to turn his mind towards himself; self-reflection, something he didn't do very well. Sure he'd seen some horrible things before but he was glad this made him sick. As far as he was concerned as soon as you stopped feeling it, stoped feeling horrified by it, you were just as bad as the heartless bastard who committed the crime. He sighed as the elevator ground to a halt he straightened himself up and walked out to find the bullpen empty, apart from the solitary figure of Ziva, staring intently at her computer screen.

* * *

"Ziva," Tony nodded as he walked into the bull-pen.

"Hello Tony," she said looking up from her screen. He took a quick glance towards her before sitting down at his desk.

"Hey Zee, are you okay?"

He finally got the courage up to ask her what he had wanted to since the case began. And this time he was going to get an answer.

"I have told you Tony, I am fine."

"Yea Ziva, you tell me one thing but your eyes and body tell me another," he said gently, leaning back against her desk and facing her.

"Honestly Tony, I will be fine," she said, looking past him at her screen.

"So you aren't fine right now," he pointed out, "look Ziva I know you like to be strong and don't want to talk about it, but if you ever do…"

"I know Tony," she told him, finally meeting his eyes.

"And a word of advice," he smiled at her, "if you don't want Abby and McGee on your case, you may want to threaten them or me soon, before they see something's up."

"I thought you said it was obvious," she smiled, looking at him curiously.

"To me, I said it was obvious to _me_," he said, returning the smile.

"Alright then," she said, looking at his hands this time, "thank you then Tony."

"No problem," he grinned at her as he grabbed her hands between his.

Their almost moment however was broken by McGee walking straight into his desk.

"Careful there McClutz," Tony grinned at McGee's misfortune, this time none of which was his doing.

"What exactly are you two doing?" McGee asked, trying to deflect the attention away from his embarrassing incident.

"Talking, elf-lord," Tony smirked, "I know this is probably news to you but it's something normal people do face-to-face, not over the internet."

McGee was saved from having to answer when his phone rang and he scrambled to pick it up, hoping it would shield him from Tony. The partners on the other side of the bullpen shared an amused look.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

"That was Abby," McGee said when he put down the phone. Ziva and Tony both looked up from their respective computer screens and stared at him.

"She says that, uh, she has something," he told them, unnerved by their stares.

"Should we wait for Gibbs or just go down?" Tony asked as they all stood up from their desks.

"I'm the one waiting for you DiNozzo."

They all turned to find Gibbs standing in the entrance to the lift.

"How does he do that?" Tony whispered quietly as the three of them walked towards the lift.

"Magic," McGee said dead seriously.

"Come on Probie," Tony rolled his eyes, "not everyone believes in magical elf lords, nor do they act like them."

McGee just huffed as the three of them crowded into the elevator with Gibbs and descended to the lab.

* * *

"What have you got Abby?" Gibbs asked as he walked into the room. Tony was following close behind him and assumed a place at Abby's elbow. Ziva leant against the bench and McGee hovered just behind her.

"Well I tested all of the food and drink samples from the crime scene and I had almost given up hope when I remembered the empty water bottle found next to the victim," she began, her eyes still red but her voice steady, "so I swabbed and tested the inside of that and while it was hard, I found the traces you were looking for. It was definitely this water bottle that had the drug in it."

"Nice work Abs," Gibbs gave her a rare reassuring smile,

"And I knew the next thing you would ask me for would be fingerprints so I am way ahead of you. I'm running them now."

"Very good Abs," he said, presenting her with a Caf-Pow.

"Thank you Gibbs. I'll call you when I know who they belong to."

Gibbs, Ziva and McGee left the lab, leaving Tony and Abby alone.

"So guess what I have for you," Tony said, turning to face her.  
"Is it a cookie?" she asked eagerly, her misery from before seemingly forgotten.

"Maybe," he grinned cheekily at her, "but now you are faced with a tough decision young grasshopper. Should you require the cookie or information?"

"That's a tough one," she giggled at him, "but I think I'm going for both."

"That wasn't an option Abby."

"Fine," she huffed, "give me the information."

"Ahh, the cookie a fine choice," his grin widened as he handed her the paper bag.

"Toooonnneeeee!" she whined, bitting into the cookie.

"Alright, alright. Being stalked wasn't one of the things she complained about last night so I guess I can tell you more," he sighed, "she works at…" his began but his words were cut off by the beeping of Abby's monitors.

"Abby," he said when she continued to stare expectantly at him and didn't turn around.

"It can wait," she waved her hand impatiently, "just tell me."

"No Abby, it can't," Tony said, looking a tiny bit startled but more shocked than he would ever show, "the finger print match came back as Claire Daniels, the sister."

**A/N: Okay again read and review for a preview and I'm working on another story with Jeanne again but this time hehe im gonna be even meaner to her. It's complicated does it sound okay? anyone interested? if so i'll start posting summary's and sneak peaks here so watch this space**

**x**


	8. You know that I'd make you stay

**A/N: So here we go chapter 8. Thanks to my beta Catherine (who gets a special mention in this chapter :P) for getting back to me so quick. Not so sure about this chapter so please share your thoughts.**

* * *

**If I had it my way you know that I'd make you Say**

"Are you 100 percent sure the prints are Claire's?" Gibbs asked Abby as he walked into her lab.

"Yes Gibbs, I'm sure."

"Why does this even mean anything?" McGee asked as he and Ziva trailed in behind Gibbs while Tony leaned against the desk next to Abby, facing the rest of the team.

"After all, they lived in the same house, the prints may be there because of that," Ziva stated, trying to think of a way Claire Daniels could be completely innocent.

"Could be," Gibbs snapped, "but we're not taking any chances. Tony, Ziva go and talk with the friend she stayed with and make absolutely sure that Claire's alibi is solid. McGee continue to look through the family history, I want everything on them."

"Come on Zee," Tony sighed, pushing himself off the table smoothly, "let's go chase up some teenage girl."

* * *

"Why do all of the Daniel's acquaintance appear to be wealthy when they are not?" Ziva wondered out loud as the agents pulled into another long winding driveway.

"The twins are pretty, especially Melanie," Tony said matter of factly.

"Tony how is that appropriate or relevant?" Ziva asked as they pulled up in front of a modern looking white house.

"Well basically, she was pretty so she attracted a massively rich and popular boyfriend and all the other 'rich and popular' kids became friends with her to get into the boyfriend's good books. They probably were only nice to her twin because of association," Tony shrugged, flipping his sunglasses onto the top of his head.

"How do you know this?" she asked shaking her head.

"I was one of those rich kids, remember Zee," he pointed to himself as he pressed the doorbell, "well before I was disowned."

"It is not right," she replied softly.

"Never said it was," he smiled at her, but there was sadness hidden behind his expression, "but that's just the way it is."

Their conversation was abruptly cut off when the door was answered, but unlike at the Stevens' residence where a maid was sent to welcome any visitors, a woman of about 40 pulled the door open. Tony and Ziva knew her name to be Rebecca Scott and despite the fact that her hair was loose around her shoulders and she was wearing jeans and an oversized shirt, she still carried an air of wealth.

"Can I help you?" she asked impatiently, as if itching to slam the door in their faces.

"Yes m'am, Agents DiNozzo and David, NCIS," Tony felt like rolling his eyes at what had turned into his signature line.

"Is your daughter here?" Ziva asked, looking over Tony's arm, which had ended up on the doorframe.

"Which daughter?" the woman's demeanour immediately switched to exhausted.

"Catherine," Tony said.  
"Is this about Melanie?"

"Yes m'am."

"Can you tell me who did this to her Agent DiNozzo?" Mrs. Scott asked, latching onto his arm.

"I'm sorry I can't provide you with any details of an ongoing investigation," Tony said, gently removing her hands from his bicep, "can you tell us where Catherine is now?"

The woman wordlessly turned and led them through the house and out to a pond sitting nestled in the back of a beautiful garden. Sitting by the pond was a teenage girl, although all that the two agents could see of her was a head of curly red hair.

"Catherine?" her mother said. As the girl turned to face to face them Tony and Ziva could see that she had a deep scratch running along her cheek, it was accompanied by a purple bruise.

"Yes mum?" the girl said in a sweet voice.

"These NCIS agents have some questions for you."

"Alright," the girl nodded scooting across the grass. Tony sat down next to her whilst Ziva chose to lean against a tree facing the two.

"Well I guess I'll just leave you to it."

Mrs. Scott turned to go back inside but both agents could sense she was hesitant to leave her daughter alone with them. When neither of them said a word she sighed slightly before turning on her heel and slowly walking away.

As soon as she was out of sight Tony began to talk.

"Hey Catherine," he smiled charmingly at her, "how's it going?"

"Alright," she shrugged slightly, drawing her knees up to her chest. Tony was quiet.

"Do you know why we are here?" Ziva asked her bluntly when she realised Tony wasn't going to say anything else.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with Melanie," Catherine replied, attitude now evident in her voice.

"Well you guessed right, we need to ask you a few questions."

"I don't need a lawyer or anything right?" she asked sounding bored, "because, I mean, why the hell would I kill her?"

"We never said you did," Ziva pointed out.

"And we don't think you did either," Tony added, "we just have to ask you a few questions about Claire."  
"What about Claire? She was here with me all night," the teen responded quickly.

"You see, we do not think she was," Ziva said, pushing her weight off the tree and walked towards Catherine, "and you answered that question too quickly, you are lying."

"What's with her?" Catherine leant towards Tony and whispered much to the amusement of the two agents.

"Don't mind Ziva, it's just her Mossad training coming through," Tony faux whispered back faking a shrug, "so I would tell her the truth."

Catherine visibly gulped but stood firm, "Claire was here all night I swear."

"Do not lie to me Catherine, I do not like to be lied to," Ziva said, coming to stand in front of Catherine, looking down at the girl. She looked like she was about to cry, but she continued to shake her head

"Hey Catherine, who hit you?"

"What?" she asked shakily, "no one hit me."

"So there is a mysterious hand shaped bruise on your face because..."  
"What bruise?" she said hurriedly, "I don't have a bruise."

"C'mon Catherine, the concealer didn't work work very well. We can see it plainly on your face," Tony pointed out.

"It was no one," she shook her head, "I fell. Ask anyone, I'm a massive klutz."

"Come on, that's too much of a guy thing to say, at least be a little original," Tony laughed, to Catherine it looked easy and carefree, putting her at ease. Ziva on the other hand, could see Tony was getting frustrated with the girl.

"I can't say," she finally admitted, "if I do, they'll just do it again."

"Well," Tony said, thinking his words out carefully, "can you confirm or deny for us?"

Catherine seemed to think about it for a while, before slowly nodding.

"Alright Catherine," Ziva said sitting in front of her, "did Claire slip out of the house to murder her sister?"

Catherine recoiled back as if she had been slapped, moving closer to Tony who she obviously seemed to trust.

"Ziva," Tony hissed to his partner, "not helping!"

Ziva just huffed and shrugged.

"Catherine," Tony said as gently as he could manage, "did Claire hit you?"

Slowly but surely, she subtly nodded.

"Can you tell us why?" he continued, shooting Ziva a glance

"No!" the girl all but yelled, "she'll just hit me again. The popular ones always slap really hard."

Her face took on a peculiar look; like she had betrayed her friend and she covered her mouth with her hand. Rocking backwards and forwards.

Tony waited a few seconds before scooting closer, "look Catherine, I know you want to help your friend but we're looking for a murderer here."

Catherine stayed quiet; the pond was quiet; the agents were quiet... until Ziva finally broke the silence.  
"Look, tell us what happened or we _can and will_ charge you with aiding and abetting a criminal, being an accessory to murder."

Catherine shot Tony a look as if to say 'can she really do that?' Tony just smiled sadly and nodded.

"Are you ready to answer our questions now?" Ziva asked.

Catherine opened her mouth but didn't speak.

"Put it this way, who are you more scared of, the Mossad trained killer or the high school girl?" Tony asked, annoyance finally creeping through his voice. This interview was just taking them in circles; they were going nowhere and really fast.

"Okay, okay she left!" Catherine sobbed, "she left about 5'oclock and came back after 10."

She started to cry harder now, noisy sobs wracking her frame, "she made me swear not to tell. She said that they would ruin me if I did."

"Who would ruin you?" Ziva barked.

"No one, I can't tell you, just no one!"

Tony shot Ziva a look and opened his mouth, however before he could say anything Mrs. Scott was there fussing over her wailing daughter.

"No more questions!" She barked pulling herself up. Even though she stood at only 5"3, almost a foot shorter than Tony, he had to respect her.

"Alright m'am, thanks for your time Catherine," he said gently, at the same time holding Ziva back, knowing she wanted to say something.

* * *

The two made their way back to their car in silence but as soon as the door was closed and they had driven up the driveway Ziva lashed out at the situation.

"She knew something Tony, something she was not telling us."

"I agree," Tony slipped his sunnies on.

"So why did you not press her? Or let me, you know I would have gotten in out of her!"

"I'm not so sure you would have," he shrugged

"Are you saying I am going soft?" she asked him, acting offended.

"No I'm not. All I'm saying is that rich kids – girls in particular – protect their friends no matter what the cost."

"Do you know this from experience Tony? They cannot like each other that much."

"Yes, I know this from experience Zee-Vah," he rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"So they don't like each other, they're just scared of each other," Ziva said, unsure whether she was uttering a question or a statement, "but she was speaking before."

"But her mother arrived," Tony explained patiently, "she had back-up we weren't going to get anything else out of her. Trust me."  
"Fine," she grumbled, still sure that she would have gotten more information out of the stubborn teenager.

Tony's phone started to ring. He flipped it open, but just before he answered he turned to Ziva and winked through his glasses, "and who said going soft was a bad thing, I think it's rather sexy," he grinned cheekily, "yeah Boss?"

Ziva growled in annoyance and flipped him the bird, only causing his grin to grow.

"Yeah Boss, she said that Claire left the house from 5 and didn't come back 'till after 10," Tony said as he switched the phone to speaker.

"Well what are you waiting for, bring her in."

"On it Boss," Tony said as Gibbs hung up, leaving the dial tone to fill the absence of his voice.

The two had almost reached the Daniels' house when it hit Tony. The pieces started to fall into place; Claire crying at the Stevens' house, the two of them with no alibi, Catherine saying that _they _would ruin her if she told.

The senior field agent let out a cuss and slammed on the breaks.

"What!" Ziva asked, annoyed at his sudden stop, "we are supposed to be bringing Claire in."

'Yeah… yeah I know but I don't think she did it."  
"So, we still have to bring her in, but you can tell Gibbs you think the boyfriend did it."

"Actually, I don't think he did it either," Tony said.

"Well then who?"

"I don't know," he said, flipping off his glasses, eyes dark with disappointment, "but I'm pretty sure I know what the two of them were doing between 5 and 10 o'clock, and God knows how long before then. Claire and Alex were sneaking around behind Melanie's back!"

* * *

**A/N: there we go. i got more than 10 reviews on the last chapter (which is a lot for me) so i wanted to update quickly for you guys. Again review for a preview. The next chapter might be a little longer in the making because i have school camp next week *joy of joys* but anyway next chapter will have some more social as apposed to case like this. FINALLY If you want a character named after you in the story just drop me a review with your name and i'd be happy to oblige. Hope you continue to enjoy**

**Oh and the first dropped hint about my new story: Of course it is ZIVA. but the real hint is - someone ends up in hospital. Intrested? I'll keep posting hints and excerpts here as i right so keep your eyes peeled. Oh and if you want more info i'd be happy to share :P**

**Hope everyone had and/or has a good week**

**xoxo**

**Lilybet**


	9. I dont't want to do this anymore

**A/N: dedicated to slightlyobsessedHaylz my emergency Beta. Thank you your a life saved :D. Sorry it took so long but i had assessment week and camp. But holidays = more writing time. My goal is to finish the chapters for this as it's slowly drawing to a close. You guys seem to like misunderstandings so hopefully you'll like this chapter, i know it was fun to write **

* * *

**I don't wanna do this anymore I don't wanna be the reason why**

"I can not understand how someone can cheat without feeling guilty." Ziva told Tony from across the bullpen. They were the only ones in the bullpen with McGee and Gibbs in Interrogation.

"So that's what you've been mulling over since we got back," Tony said, "Infidelity?"

"Well yes." She admitted, "I was wondering how Alex could do that to his girlfriend or how Claire could that to her sister."

"Well," Tony said thoughtfully, standing he walked over to her desk "I guess that they loved – or at least lusted after – each other more than they did Melanie."  
"Then why did he not just break up with Melanie?" She asked as Tony came to lean against her desk, a position he was finding himself in a lot recently.

"How would that look? To break up with Melanie and then start dating her sister? Even if he waited it would still ruin his reputation."

"Still, did he care that much about his reputation?" Ziva asked, "Did he not owe it to Melanie."

"Apparently he didn't think so." Tony shrugged, "and I think I can see where he's coming from."

"How can you side with that bastard?" Ziva raised her voice suddenly, "How can you condone what he did?"

"God Ziva I'm not saying that, not at all." Tony shook his head and thought of how to phrase what he was trying to say.

"So what are you saying?"

"Well I guess sometimes you have to date who you're expected to, sometimes you have to _do_ what is expected of you even if you don't feel it any longer."

"So his reputation was more important than honestly and 'love'?"

"Pretty much," Tony sighed slightly, "In this case at least."

"But how can anyone ever cheat?" She asked him

"There are lots of reasons Zee." He rubbed his hand over his eyes, "It's not always black and white."

"Well it should be." She huffed.

* * *

"Well Tony was right, Stevens admitted he was sneaking around with Claire when confronted." McGee said as he and Gibbs returned to the bullpen, oblivious to the seeming distance between the partners, "I guess he really didn't want to go to jail."

"You think McGee." Gibbs said as he dropped his empty coffee cup into the bin.

"So where do we go from now?" McGee asked

"Continue background checks." Gibbs barked, striding out of the office shortly.

"Well have fun with your background checks," Tony winked groaning as he stretched his legs.

"Where are you going?" McGee asked suspiciously

"Geez Probie, don't get your knickers in a knot I'm just going to talk to Abby,"

* * *

"Why are you so curious of where Tony is going all of a sudden?" Ziva asked as soon as the aforementioned disappeared from their sight.

"Because, I thought he might be seeing this mystery girl and I could track him."

"Jeanne," Ziva corrected automatically, "Her name is Jeanne."

"How do you know that?" McGee asked suspicious yet again

"You know that McGee." She rolled her eyes

"Yea well I'm sorry but I think he has Abby on his side now."

"What makes you say that?" Ziva raised her eyebrows.

"She told me his girl was a Ballerina, did she look like a ballerina to you?" McGee started to rant

"Relax McGee," She chuckled, "She was probably joking with you to hide the fact she has not gotten any information from him yet."

"Oh, that makes sense." McGee visibly calmed, "Yes, I'm sure that's it."

* * *

"Tony." Abby cried as soon as she spotted him entre the lab, "Have you come to give me more information."

"Actually Abby I wanted to run a theory by you." He looked a bit hesitant, "Since I'm not a forensic expert or anything."

"Alright, Shoot." She removed her hand from her mouse and turned towards him.

"Well I was thinking, so Harvey lent Daniels the sword right, and that's his explanation for his prints being on there,"

"Yea," Abby nodded, plausible explanation

"But I was thinking," Tony said, "If Daniels had taken the sword from Harvey wouldn't his fingerprints be on the sword as well, seeing as he should have handled the sword last."

Abby stared at Tony for a few seconds before slapping herself in the head. "Of course." She said, "Why didn't I see it?"

"I dunno." Tony shrugged pulling out his phone "Yea McGee." He barked, "I need you to contact Daniels and find out whether he cleaned the sword or anything…Yes now McGee, I don't care what Gibbs asked you to do just report back to me…A-ha, yea alright." He hung up.

"Wow that was smart Tony." Abby grinned at him

"Well what else did you expect from me." He grinned cockily, an expression she was seeing less and less of these days.

"Well anyway... More info Tony, now." She demanded

"What happened to once a day?" He laughed nervously, grin all but gone from his face

"Well you got interrupted last time, and I won't give you the results to give to Gibbs which will make him mad."

"What results?"

"The ones you'll need at some point for some case." She grinned smugly

"Fine," he sighed, "She works at Monroe University Hospital."

"Hey Tony," She said after processing this information.

"Yea Abby, I'm not giving you anything else at the moment." He sighed again, why had he agreed to this deal anyway?

"No that's not it Tony. Harvey's Girlfriend works and Monroe, your might possibly have to go there to talk to her."

"What are the odds?" Tony groaned

"Of her working there? Slim. Of you having to go there to talk to her? High knowing the way things work around here."

"Great, what do I do?" he moaned, "Especially as I'll probably have to take Ziva there to. What if they bump into each other?"

Abby hid a grin at his specific mention of his partner but didn't comment.

"Wear a wig?"

"Not helping Abby." He mumbled, face firmly planted in his palms.

"Well I don't know. Be quick go in and out," She inwardly sighed, wondering why Tony was so adamant to keep his girlfriend separate from his colleagues and friends. What exactly was he hiding?

* * *

"He was on his way up to the bullpen to tell Gibbs what he had discovered when his phone rang. It was Jeanne. He had no desire to answer it but he knew things had gone too far, he had avoided her too much and jeopardised the mission badly enough as it was.

"This is Tony." He sighed, walking into the elevator.  
"Tony." Jeanne whispered her voice hoarse as if from crying, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, babe why are you sorry?" He asked, flicking the emergency switch in the lift and leaning against the wall.

"It's just I was so jealous of her, she is really gorgeous but then I was thinking and I realised you let me deal with my ex without interfering, it was my personal life and I respected and loved you more for that but then I turned around and butted into your life and it's none of my business." She rushed, sobs evident at the end of her rant.

"Hey, Jeanne I'm sorry I really am it's just really complicated but there is nothing going on between me and Ziva I need you to trust me on this one." He sighed

"I do, I'm sorry." Her voice almost broke his heart, tugged at his heart, something he hadn't felt much lately.

"Hey babe I'm sorry but I have a class…" he sighed

"Of course, sorry I should be reporting for my shift now. Love you." She said,

"Yea you to," he sighed, hanging up. He rubbed his face, a movement that was becoming a habit for him and took a breath before flicking the switch as the elevator rumbled to life.

* * *

"Tony, what have you found that's so important?" Gibbs barked as his senior field agent finally appeared in the lift.

"Well I was thinking about Harvey's story about the presence of his prints and realised that Daniels' prints should have been on the weapon as well. We checked with Daniels and apparently he cleaned it the day before Melanie was murdered." Tony said, as he strode into the bullpen, no indication of the phone call minutes before weighing on his mind.

"So there's no way that Harvey's prints are there for the reason he says they were." McGee finally cottoned onto what Tony had been on about.

"Maybe you should check on Harvey's alibi Boss." Tony suggested after a second.

"Ya think DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped, "McGee where did he say he was?"

"Umm at his girlfriend's apartment." McGee read off the monitor "Name is Tegan Purcell she is a nurse at Monroe University Hospital."

"Well what are you two waiting for, go and talk to her." Gibbs snapped at Ziva and Tony. Ziva hurriedly started to grab her gear but Tony moved at a much slower pace. This was bound to end up badly he knew it. He also didn't know how he had managed to safely and easily keep his two lives separate before now. This was just exhausting.

* * *

"Why are you so jumpy Tony?" Ziva asked him as they pulled into the hospital car park.

"I'm not jumpy." He snapped, "I'm just incredibly tired."

"When you are tired you become quiet, not snappy." she pointed out

"Ziva, just drop it." He snapped as he slammed shut the car door.

"Fine." She huffed, crossing her arms as they walked towards the hospital, "but you will tell me eventually."

"Sure Zee." His face softened.

"Tegan Purcell," Ziva called to the pretty brunette nurse leaving a patients room.

"Yes that's me, how can I help you?" She asked them, smiling.

"Agent DiNozzo, NCIS." Tony said, flashing his badge.

"You look familiar Agent DiNozzo," She said, trying to get a closer look at him, "Do I know you?" despite the fact he decided to leave his sunglasses over his eyes Tony still felt uncomfortable.

"We are the ones who would like to ask the questions." Ziva said curtly

"Of course, what can I do for you?" She asked

"Your boyfriend Percy Harvey, do you know where he was last Thursday night." Tony asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"Of course," she said, smiled turning slightly frigid, "he was with me."

"Are you sure about that?" Ziva asked

"Of course, Miss." Her smile was downright icy now, "Are you suggesting I am lying to you."

"Of course not Ms. Purcell." Tony smiled charmingly, "My partner, Officer David, was just asking if you were with him the whole night."

"Oh well yea," her smiled dropped all together but her attitude became more placated.

"What were you doing?" Ziva questioned bluntly

"If you must know Officer Daivd we were having sex."

"Can you pr-"

"Thank you Ms. Purcell," Tony cut off his partner's question, "If we have any more questions we will be in contact."

"What was that Tony?" Ziva asked as soon as their back was to Tegan,

"You don't just _ask_ people that Zee, murder investigation or not." Tony sighed. In an uncharacteristic moment placed his hand on the small of her back. Sensing that he wasn't making a move just needed comfort; she let it stay there.

They were walking down the hallway, still in the same contact as before when he saw her. Jeanne was walking towards them, eyes trained on some sort of chart. Quickly before they could be spotted, Tony whizzed them down a side hallway.

"Tony what are you doing," she hissed.

"Nothing, just be quiet and stay still." He hissed back.

"Tony, tell me what is going on or I will walk back down that hallway." She said.

"Alright fine, I saw Jeanne are you happy."

"So what, she is you girlfriend is she not? Should you not be happy to see her?"

"Look it's complicated." He leant towards her and whispered, "It involves a mission but I swear I will tell you later."

She looked into his eyes for a second before giving a short nod, "Alright I trust you." She said quietly.

"Good." He also nodded, staring at her for a second pulling back, just as Jeanne rounded the corner.

"Tony." She called, almost tearfully.

'Help' Tony mouthed to Ziva.

"I am sorry, can I help you?" Ziva asked, stepping out from beneath his arm.

"What are you doing here?" She asked hatred evident in her voice.

"I am here with Tony." She said simply, "It is work."

"As teachers. At a hospital. Yea right." Jeanne scoffed.

'Teachers' she turned to mouth at Tony, who just shrugged almost helplessly.

"She's being honest." Tony stepped forwards

"So why were you two backed against a wall and staring into each other's eyes?" She questioned hatefully, "Looks almost like you had kissed,"

"Kiss Tony." It was now Ziva's turn to scoff "I would rather kiss Palmer."

"And I would rather kiss Abby." Tony piped up,

"Abby, that is all you have?" Ziva raised her eyebrows and Tony shrugged

"Remember the Coffin."

"Fine, I would rather kiss Gibbs." She said triumphantly

"And I would rather kiss Ducky AND the Probie." Tony said triumphantly, almost forgetting the woman feeling insanely like a third wheel.

"Enough." She all but yelled, "I want a damn good explanation."

"I tripped and fell at work." Ziva supplied, "Tony thought I should come and get myself checked out but I said I was fine."

"I see." Jeanne said as if she didn't buy it at all.

"Well we should probably get back now, not leave Gibbs waiting." Tony said, placing his hand again on Ziva's back to propel her forwards, this time however Ziva shot him a warning glance and he moved his hand.

As the two agents were passing Jeanne to return to the main hallways, Ziva in the front Jeanne stuck out her leg as if to trip Ziva. The Mossad ninja reflexes were too fast for her however and she soon found herself lying on her back on the floor. Ziva was standing over her.

"Do not try anything like that again" she hissed as Tony's phone began to ring. Torn between helping the distraught girl and calming Ziva it was a welcome distraction.

"Tony."

"DiNozzo" Gibbs barked so loud Tony wouldn't be surprised if Jeanne heard him, "I need you and Ziva back here as soon as possible. Ten minutes."

"Boss, we're at least half an hour away."

"Fifteen DiNozzo, better hurry."

"That was Gibbs." He said to Ziva as he hung up the phone. He reached down and pulled Jeanne to her feet gently, giving Ziva a disapproving look.

"Was that necessary." He asked her

"She tried to trip me." Ziva defended,

"You could have just avoided it." He sighed, letting go of Jeanne's hand and turning away with Ziva.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Wanna murder me? Review for a preview as always.**

**So I was sitting in the car and got an idea for a new story so the first new story i was talking about is on the back burner, i got home yesterday and wrote three chapters of this new story so watch out for it if you have me on author alert, if you don't i'll say here when it's up :D of course this is my top priority but i feel like this is drawing to a close, 4 maybe 5 chapters tops are left.**

**Next update SHOULD be sooner coz of school holidays, depends if my beta clears up or if i have to continue to use Haylee, don't wanna overload anyone (thanks again love :D)**

**xoxo**


	10. Opportunities for eternity

**A/N: So this is really close to the last one because i feel bad you had to wait so long. It's pretty short but important. Next chapter he will tell Ziva and then chapter 12 i have something pretty big planned. Working really hard to get these finished so updates should be more regular now. Also Tony has a mini breakdown in this chap**

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** I had everything, opportunities for eternity**

The car ride back to the Navy yard was silent. Tony was thinking of some reason, any reason to get out of telling Ziva about his mission. When he realised that was futile, that she would get it out of him one way or another he contemplated the best way to tell her, and how _little _he could get away with telling her.

Meanwhile in a rare moment of clarity Ziva realised that Tony needed to be left alone to think. So she occupied her mind with thoughts of what Tony's secret mission could be.

Sooner than either of the agents would have liked they had arrived at the navy yard. Both of them had not a doubt in their mind how this case would end, both of them hated what they had already discovered and both of them no matter how much they wished for a distraction would rather face their own truths than those of the case.

* * *

"Took you long enough." Gibbs barked as the two agents emerged from the elevator 20 minutes after the phone call.

"We were as fast as we could be. Ziva even drove." Tony pointed out, as the two walked towards their stations. Even McGee could see both the physical and emotional distance between the partners.

"Not fast enough." The Ex-marine grumbled. Tony ignored him and plopped down into his desk chair.

"Get up DiNozzo, what do you think you're doing." He snapped as Ziva went to put her gun in her desk.

"Sitting down Gibbs." Tony was irritated and stressed and lashed out more than he would have dared in any other situation, "Do you have a problem with that."

"No you're not, you and Ziva are going to Harvey's place to check for GHB."

"We were just out." Tony snapped, "Why couldn't we have gone straight from the hospital."

"Because you need to have a warrant." McGee pointed out, hoping to cut off Gibbs' temper.

"Great. Ziva can go with the Probie then."

"DiNozzo." Gibbs warned.

"No. McGee is going." He all but yelled, "If anyone needs me I'm going to be somewhere else." He abruptly stood up and strode for the elevator. The bullpen was silent until the doors shut.

"McGee, you're with Ziva. What are you still doing here?" McGee scrambled to grab his coat and gun before the two agents raced down the stairs; sure Tony would be in the stopped elevator.

* * *

"What was that all about?" McGee asked Ziva as she raced through the streets.

"What was what about?"

"You know what, Tony totally lashing out at Gibbs." McGee clenched his hands, wondering why Ziva's was driving even more manically than normal today.

"Maybe the case is frustrating him as it is Gibbs." Ziva shrugged, "Why should I know?"

"Umm because he was fine before you two went to talk to Purcell, and now he's angry and tense."

"Very good McGee." Ziva turned to look at him, "You are getting better at reading Body Language."

"Keep your eyes on the road." He pleaded, "And thank you."

Ziva smirked as the compliment completely deflected his interest, he may have been getting better at body language, but his interrogation was hopeless.

* * *

Tony stood in the dark elevator shaft controlling his breathing. He knew he was going to have hell to pay for the way he had talked to Gibbs. This stupid simple mission had butterfly effected into something huge and the secrecy agreement he had with the director was making the situation even worse.

He sighed as he flicked the switch and pressed the button. If only he hadn't gone into the damn bathroom none of this would be happening.

* * *

"Tony." Director Sheppard scolded as he burst into the office "you're almost as bad as Gibbs."

"I want off!" he said slamming his hands on the desk.

"Tony. Sit down." She said forcefully

"No I will not sit down! I want off this damn mission you put me on."

"Sit. Now." She commanded, "Or I will be forced to remove you from this office."

Tony sent her a glare but sat down tensely.

"Now I am assuming you're referring to the mission with Jeanne Benoit, am I correct?"

"Yes." He grumbled

"What reason do you want off the case? Have you been compromised?" She asked slowly yet firmly. She didn't want to set him off again but she needed him on this case.

"Because I don't love her."

"Good, you're undercover Tony, you aren't meant to fall in love." She told him, eyebrows raised.

"God Jenny I can't do this anymore." He said, "I hate lying to my team, to Abby who's like my sister, to Ziva."

"You don't have to lie." She tried to sooth the agents ruffled feathers, "You just don't tell them, you're good at that not telling your teammates anything that matters."

"Well it's not helping. Abby, McGee and especially Ziva are already suspicious."

"What happened to not crossing the two lives?" Jenny said sharply, cursing slightly. She knew the MCRT and she knew that they would stop at nothing to get the information they needed.

"Well geez I tried but when Jeanne shows up at my apartment after Ziva, Abby and McGee have a movie night at my place everyone is bound to get suspicious. And no before you ask I'm not stupid I never took her to my place."

"Not once?" She raised her eyebrows, "Then how did she find you?"

"I don't know." He was frustrated now, "I honestly can't remember taking her but that's not the point. The point is I can't do this anymore."

"Agent DiNozzo, you can and you _will_ continue this mission until _I_say so. Are we clear?" She demanded, and Tony could see why this woman had become the director of NCIS.

"Look Jenny, I don't care what you say the way things are going I'm bound to get compromised."

"But you haven't yet."

"No," he shook his head,

"Then you're staying on the case." She snapped, standing up for the first time in their meeting.

"But the case-"

"I don't care. This case has nothing to do with your mission."

"But it does." He protested.

"Uh." She stuck out a finger to stop him.

"You know what. I _am_ done. So either I break up with her in character and you assign some new agent or I tell her the truth and your whole mission is blown it's your choice." He exploded, standing up so the chair toppled over.

"You blow this mission, Special agent DiNozzo you will end up as an agent afloat." Jenny challenge dangerously hands firmly planted on her desk.

"You are so caught up in your hatred for this man you won't see reason." Tony leant towards her and lowered his voice, "You've lost my respect, you will lose my teams respect and you'll lose everything you hold dear." He turned on his heel, "But it's your choice."

"Agent DiNozzo, are you threatening me," She called, swallowing her fear.

"So what if I am." He called over his shoulder, "There isn't anything worse you could do to punish me."

* * *

**A/N: And there we go short but fun at least i think. Only one review last chapter, made me quite sad especially as i enjoyed writing it. As always review for a preview and TELL me if you think the breakdown was in character or not. Share what you did and didn't like**

**Oh and a teaser for the new fic: It involves a letter from Baltimore. **

**I'll put a teaser at the end of each chapter until i finish or it goes up, which ever happens first.**

**Next chapter should be within a couple of days**

**xoxo**


	11. Heaven ain't close in a place like this

**A/N: Again HUGE thanks to Haylee for betaing this so quickly. Anyway the thing is she's going away for the weekend so the next chapter won't be ready until Tuesday maybe Monday, i just don't wanna overload her. Sorry but i hope you find the final chapter satisfactory. Anyway the scene in this chapter was the most requested scene i got so hopefully i did it justice. **

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* * *

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**Heaven ain't Close in a Place Like This**

"Hey Tony, come to spill more information." Abby greeted cheerfully before she noticed the downcast expression on Tony's face. "What's wrong?" She asked, rushing over to envelope the agent in a bear hug.

"Nothing, well nothing that matters just had a disagreement with the director, and Gibbs." He sighed, feeling old.

"Do I need to have a word with Gibbs or the director?" She asked, planting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side. Tony couldn't help but smile at the picture she painted.

"No Abs, really I'm fine I just need some quiet."

"Oh of course, you poor baby!" She sighed, ushering him to the couch in her office, "You probably haven't slept much with this case and all. You just have a rest and I'll let you know when anything happens." Tony grinned and lay down. He wasn't planning on falling asleep but he knew better than to mess with Abby when she got into mother hen mode.

* * *

"What did you do to him Gibbs?" Tony awoke from his involuntary sleep to the sound of hushed voices in the lab.

"I didn't do anything Abs." he heard his boss' voice and immediately felt guilty about the way he had lashed out before.

"I'm sure you didn't," he almost heard the Goth roll her eyes, "I know Tony and he doesn't get mad or hurt like that unless it's called for."

"I know Abs." He heard his Boss say, "But it wasn't me. Didn't you say he mentioned the director as well?"

Tony thought now was the time to make his presence known so he slowly sat up on the couch making sure to squeak the springs.

"About time Sleeping beauty." He heard his boss quip and almost sighed in relief, so his boss wasn't mad with him. This was good.

"If I'm sleeping beauty what are you?" Tony quipped as he walked into the lab, "The beast?"

"Very funny DiNozzo." Gibbs said dryly and Tony prepared himself for a slap. It never came.

"So what did I miss?" He asked rubbing his hands together.

"Not much. You were only asleep for half an hour, 45 minutes tops." Abby told him, coming around to wrap him in yet another hug. Tony found himself returning the hug with more force than usual, clinging to Abby as if she were a lifeline. However he quickly got a hold of himself and released her. She gave him one final squeeze before letting go.

"Anyway..." Abby continued, once Tony was safely standing next to Gibbs, "Apparently Ziva and McGee did find GHB at Harvey's place, no Harvey though, strange that. Maybe he's gone into hiding or something"

"The point Abby?" Tony asked amusement evident in his voice.

"Oh right the point is if this is the same GHB we found in Melanie Daniel's blood then we have enough evidence to arrest Harvey." Abby said as if it were obvious.

"How long?" Gibbs asked

"Depends, it would take less time if the two of you skedaddled." She said raising her eyebrows.

* * *

"DiNozzo, what is up with you?" As soon as the elevator had started moving Gibbs had flicked the emergency switch.

"Ummm, just girl problems." Tony mentally slapped himself, girl problems? What the hell was he thinking?

"Right. Want to tell me the truth now." Gibbs snapped, giving the agent a firm head-slap.

"I am telling the truth." Tony sighed, turning to lean against the elevator wall with his arms firmly crossed,

"Want to try that again?"

"No disrespect _sir_ but _I am telling the truth_."

"Do _not_ lie to me DiNozzo." Gibbs said quietly, "I'm your boss not your friend and you don't have to tell me anything but _do not lie to me_."

Tony felt a sharp sting at his _boss'_ harsh words but refused to show it. "Fine then _Boss_ it's not any of your business."

"And it won't interfere with your performance in the field?" Gibbs asked, voice returning to normal.

"No." Tony returned sharply.

"Alright then." Gibbs nodded, nonchalantly flicking the switch, "Then don't disobey anymore orders. Understand?"

* * *

"We are going for lunch." Ziva stood as the two men returned to the bullpen.

"Zee, it's 4 in the afternoon." Tony grinned amused.

"Well, we haven't had lunch yet."

"Who is 'we' David?" Gibbs asked checking his computer.

"Me and Tony." She said confidently.

"Tony and I." Tony corrected, "But I guess you're right, I am kinda hungry."

"Did I say you could go for lunch?"

"Legally you have to let us go _Boss." _Tony pointed out none too kindly. Ziva and McGee shared a nervous look behind Tony's back.

"Legally I don't, you can eat your lunch here." The two men stared at each other in a battle of wits before Gibbs sighed. DiNozzo obviously had something on his mind and he didn't want to turn himself into the enemy,

"Fine, off you go but you have half an hour, then you have to be back here." He said, picking up his pen and watching out the corner of his eye as the two agents grabbed their coats and headed out of the bullpen."

BREAKBREAKBREAK

"Tell me about this mission." Ziva said as soon as the doors had closed.

"Not yet Zee, be patient." Tony sighed.

"If not now, when? Why did you come with me if you have no intention of telling me." She stood arms crossed, staring up at him.

"Relax sweetcheeks." He managed a smile, "I'll tell you at 'lunch'. I just meant not whilst we are still in the building."

"Oh." Ziva stood quiet for a minute until the lift arrived at the bottom floor, "Well hurry, we only have half an hour." She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the base.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Tony and Ziva sat at the table in the quiet little cafe in silence. The café was almost empty, half way between the lunch and dinner crowds.

"Your meal." A young attractive blonde waitress set down their food, making sure to brush her breasts against Tony's arm. He didn't even bat an eyelash. Sighing in disappointment the waitress scurried away, looking over her shoulder before entering the kitchen.

The two agents started their meals in silence before Ziva finally felt confident enough to broach the topic. "So, what is this mission that you are on?"

Tony sighed and set down his cutlery. "It's complicated, are you sure you want to know?" He folded his hands and leant forward.

"Would I ask if I didn't?" she raised her left eyebrow.  
"Fair enough but you are not to tell _anyone_ not Abby or McGee or even Gibbs." He said warningly.

"Alright." She nodded sincerely.

"Ok. Well how do I start this?" he thought out loud.

"From the beginning. Or you could tell me what this has to do with your girlfriend Jeanne."

"Alright here we go, but please don't interrupt and let me give you all the details before you judge me." He sighed.

"That does not sound promising, if you are making me promise." She pointed out.  
"Loom Ziva, do you want to know or not?" he asked impatiently.

"Alright, I will do my best not to interrupt you." She promised.

"First off as far as Jeanne is aware I am Professor Tony DiNardo online film professor."

"You a teacher?" Ziva snorted unable to help herself, "How did she believe that."

"Are you done?" He raised his eyebrows, slightly amused despite the situation.

"Yes, please continue." She nodded.

"The whole reason for this undercover mission is really quite simple. Jeanne Benoit is the daughter of 'The Frog' – René Benoit." He sighed; Ziva gasped slightly but otherwise made no other noise. "When I was team leader Director Sheppard sent me undercover to date her, hoping that she might be able to lead me to her father. No luck so far." He chuckled humourlessly, "You guys weren't supposed to find out at all but somehow she found out where I live. And my two lives crossed."

"She knows where you live? You have been compromised?" Ziva could no longer keep quiet, "Surely Jenny has taken you off the case?"  
"Nope." He shook his head and Ziva could tell this was a point of conflict, "I tried to convince her to but she is _so_ obsessed with this guy that she wouldn't do it." He sighed, "This is going to blow up in her face and soon. I just know."

Ziva leant across the table and placed her hand on top of his, knowing that he needed comfort.  
"This shouldn't be so hard." He groaned, "I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm yelling at the director and Gibbs."

"Well I would be doing more than yelling at the director and you are tense and Gibbs was being Gibbs. I would not worry about it." She soothed. They looked at each other for a minute before Ziva stood up, startling Tony. "You look tense." She explained as she walked around the table to give his shoulders an expert rub.

"Thanks Zee." Tony sighed as she worked the knots out of his shoulders. Automatically he felt better.

"It is no problem you would do the same thing for me." She smiled even though he could not see it "Now we will return to work, close this case and then we will deal with the director. If we have to tell Gibbs to sort it out we will. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Tony sighed.

* * *

When Jeanne returned from work that evening she was mentally exhausted. Her brain was telling her that she should trust Tony but her heart was telling her that something fishy was up. She was interrupted from her train of thoughts by the arrival of a letter through the slot in the door. She opened it slowly and chocked back a sob. She dropped the envelope to the floor, pictures of Ziva and Tony on an apparent date spilling across the floor.

"Bastard!" She howled.

* * *

**A/N: You know the drill review for a preview. My ultimate dream is 200 reviews for one fic but that's ot gonna happen and it's greedy and stuff so all I'm asking for is more review than on my last story. Then again i broke 100 for this fic within 10 chapter which is a first for me so THANK YOU SO SO MUCH :D**

**So I _know _I'm going to get review about Gibbs being a bastard but i don't think it's to much of a stretch, he just wants the case solved and his agents focused. Again please tell me what you like and what was believable. **

**Teaser for the new Story: The letter is from an Ex but not of the girlfriend (or boyfriend) type.**

**Sit tight until next time [Like i said it might be awhile] and don't be afraid to ask questions or critisise**

**xoxo**


	12. Count your blessings now

**A/N: Alrighty here we go this is getting to the good bit thanks a bunch to Haylee for betaing this even though she was away i owe you so much. Please don't kill me for the cliffhanger next chapter should be up by Tuesday

* * *

**

**Someone said count your blessings now coz their long gone**

Tony was woken at 5 o'clock the next morning by the chirp of his mobile. In his hazy state he was unsure of which cell it was so he decided on the safe answer "This is Tony." He mumbled.

"DiNozzo." It was Gibbs, obviously his work number, "Get in here now! We need to pay Harvey a little visit."

"At five in the morning Boss." Tony groaned, forgetting his misplaced anger from the day before. "We'll catch him surprised." Was the gruff response as he rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans, no one expected him to dress up at five in the morning.

"Great idea boss." He tried to pull on the jeans and balance the phone.

"Don't bother eating Ziva is grabbing something. Hurry!" before he knew what was happening Gibbs had hung up on him. Tony sighed; it was times like this he wished he had a normal nine to five job.

* * *

It was just after 5:30 when Tony walked into the bullpen still half asleep. He was greeted by a bleary eyed McGee and an awfully cheery looking Ziva.

"Why are you so awake." He moaned, all but falling into his chair.

"I am always up this early for my morning run." She informed him, walking over to hand him his breakfast.

"Thanks," he said accepting the offered paper wrapped roll of some sort sitting up in the process, "You really are quite mental you know that right?"

"Just because I wish to stay healthy and fit." She teased, poking him in the arm.

"Are you calling me unfit sweet cheeks?" He growled, making as if to tickle her.

"Your words not mine." She grinned cheekily, "And I would not tickle me if I were you."

"It's to early for this." Tony moaned, covering his eyes with his hand melodramatically falling completely backwards into the chair. McGee watched the two with confused eyes not sure if he was seeing right. The tension and distance that had been highly evident yesterday had completely melted away as if it was never there. In fact the two agents seemed to be more comfortable with each other than they had in a long time

"Too bad DiNozzo it's time to get moving." Gibbs appeared behind the two agents coffee cup in each hand

"But I need to eat." Tony protested weakly, holding up the paper wrapped roll.

"Eat in the car." He said, "Drink this in there too" He handed Tony the second coffee cup.

"With you driving I'm likely to spill it all over myself." He quipped, standing up and grabbing the cup never the less.

"Then skull it quickly." Gibbs commanded as his agents scurried to grab their guns and badges before heading for the lift.

* * *

"Clear." Ziva finally called from the back of the house and the other three agents visibly relaxed. Harvey's house was empty with no signs of him having been there in the past couple of days.

"I wonder were he went?" McGee pondered out loud. He and Gibbs were standing in the kitchen, Ziva was in a games type room off the back of the house and Tony was standing in the master bedroom.

"Wherever it was it was in a hurry but he had time to prepare." Tony called out. The other agents moved towards the bedroom, guns still drawn but lowered. The bed was scattered with clothes and the cupboards in the bathroom had spaces where personal hygiene products had been. There was no toothbrush or toothpaste anywhere to be found.

"He cleared out, he knew we would be coming." Ziva stated, holstering her weapon.

"But where did he go?" McGee repeated his question from before.

"My money is on the girlfriend's house." Tony pointed out, following Ziva's lead.

"Well then that's were we go next." Gibbs said, "DiNozzo, David check to see if we missed anything here. McGee call Abby and get Tegan Purcell's address."

* * *

"Well that is Harvey's car in the drive way." Ziva pointed out as the four agents climbed out of the car.

"Hey boss, I was thinking why are we all here anyway. Usually just Ziva and Tony make the arrests." McGee voiced the question he'd had on his mind since he had received a call from Gibbs early in the morning.

"It's because you need experience and Gibbs thinks this Bastard is going to be hard to catch." Tony said, saving Gibbs from having to answer. Gibbs shot him a thankful glance with his eyes before striding over to the door.

"Ms. Purcell NCIS open up." He called, rapping his knuckles on the door as the sun rose. Hushed voices were heard inside but the door wasn't opened. Gibbs signaled to Tony to who rushed forwards and barged the door open with his shoulder. Guns drawn the other three agents followed him into the house. They were greeted with the sight of Percy Harvey holding his girlfriend by the neck.

Quickly surveying the scene Gibbs sent Tony hand signals. Nodding slightly Tony charged at Harvey, scaring him slightly. His grip around Tegan slipped and Gibbs dashed forwards to grab the woman. Acting quickly Tony and Ziva trained their guns towards Harvey.

"Lieutenant Percy Harvey you are under arrest for the murder of Melanie Daniels." Tony said, lowering his gun and walking towards Harvey with his handcuffs. Ziva had her gun trained on Harvey's head, he knew she had his six. In the background he could vaguely hear Tegan Purcell sobbing.

He was standing behind Harvey, ready to cuff him when the disheveled looking Brunette entered from the back of the house. Ziva noticed her and tensed trying to send her eye signals to shut the hell up. It didn't work. The brunette rubbed her eyes as if checking to see if she was actually seeing what she was in front of her before opening her mouth. "Tony?"

* * *

**A/N: the ending i dunno about but oh well its the best i can do. As Always review for a preview and the next chapter is probably the peak of the story :D**

**Teaser of the new story: It'll have a second story strand running through with my take on the whole "I smiled" Thing.**

**Off to my aunts birthday dinner like i said next chapter probably by Tuesday and thanks so much for the lovely review I've been getting :D**


	13. Darkness turns to light, it ends tonight

**A/N: So here we go chapter 13 Tuesday as promised. not sure what i think of this chapter so please please let me know. I think most people will probably skip this so i'll just stop rambling now and let you continue ;) Oh and there's some swearing in this chapter, just a head's up**

* * *

**When Darkness turns to Light it ends Tonight**

"Tony?"

"Jeanne?"

Tony was distracted for a single second, just a second, as he caught Jeanne's figure out of the corner of his eye. Dishevelled and disheartened were the words that came to mind as he glanced at his girlfriend; she looked a mess. In that single second that he locked eyes with Jeanne Benoit, Percy Harvey got the advantage. Tony lost his centre of gravity and Harvey, seeing the opportunity wide open, made a move.

A fraction of a second after Harvey lunged at him, Tony saw the danger but by then it was too late. The two men, one a highly trained federal agent the other a mad and desperate murderer, fell to the floor. Tony landed on his ankle, Tegan's sobs grew louder and Jeanne screamed.

Quickly springing into action Ziva moved forward and grabbed Harvey, pulling him off her partner. She refrained from rolling her eyes upon hearing the other two women in the room continue to scream as she yanked the murderer away from Tony. She finally got the upper hand and in one swift motion, she had him pinned on his stomach.

Tony sat up off of the floor and tossed his partner the handcuffs that had been discarded in the scuffle. She caught them deftly and sent him a cheeky grin.

"Only you Tony. This could only happen to you."

"Oi, the Probie probably would have broken something," Tony teased back and Ziva's grin widened, realising he was fine. She wouldn't admit it to herself but there was a moment there when she had felt a numbing sense of fear for her partner.

"If you two are done having a moment," Gibbs voice interrupted them, "we have some loose ends to attend to."

"Right Boss."

Tony sighed as Ziva hauled Harvey to his feet none to gently

"Well then get off your fat arse," Gibbs suggested when Tony made no move to get up.

"On it Boss."

Tony stood up, but as he placed his weight on his left leg it buckled under the pressure. Swiftly Ziva let go of Harvey and grabbed her partner, managing to support him before he fell.

"DiNozzo, you right?" Gibbs asked as he strode over, leaving McGee to deal with Harvey's sobbing girlfriend.

"Just peachy Boss," Tony grimaced. At the disbelieving look he received he shrugged, "I'm fine, really it's just sprained I would worry more about Ms. Purcell's neck."

"DINOZZO?"

A shrill voice pierced through the conversation, reminding the team of the presence of the third woman.

"Tony what the fuck is going on here?" Jeanne screeched.

"Shit!" Tony swore, looking at Ziva, she stared back with wide eyes. This was not a good situation for them to be in.

"Save me please," he whispered.  
"You got yourself into this mess," she whispered back.

"It was a mission from the director what else do you propose me to have done?"

"Told her to shove it up her arse?" she suggested.  
"Oh yea Zee, that would have gone down swimmingly," he rolled his eyes, "and am I detecting a hint of jealousy here?"

"No," Ziva blushed.

Before Tony was given an opportunity to tease her about it Jeanne was in front of him, hands on her hips and fuming.

"Tony what the hell is going on here? Who the hell is Tony DiNozzo?"

"Umm lady, that would be him. Some girlfriend you are," McGee snorted.

"Thanks for the assistance there Mcfoot-in-mouth," Tony spat.

"McGee, take Harvey out to the car," Gibbs interjected, trying to diffuse the situation, "and Ziva check out this place, see if you can find anything more tying Harvey to the case, or even Ms. Purcell."

McGee – realising he said something wrong – hauled Harvey to the car without a word, Gibbs following with Tegan right behind. Ziva sent Tony a quick look of reassurance before walking through to the back of the house, leaving Tony leaning against a wall and Jeanne staring daggers in front of him.

"What the hell?" Jeanne exploded, repeating her previous words.

Tony took a breath, mentally preparing himself for the severe tongue lashing he was about to face.

"I come to Tegan's place because I get photos in the mail of you and _her_!" she spat, flinging her hand in Ziva's direction, "out on a date or something. And then you come barging in here at 6:30 in the morning yelling something about being a federal agent and you then go off and arrest one of my best friend's fiancée for murder," she took a breath, "oh yeah, and apparently you're name isn't Tony DiNardo, it's Tony DiNozzo, so you better have a DAMN good explanation or I am walking the hell away from here."

"You can't walk away!" Tony yelled; he had promised himself when this blew up, as he knew it would the second she walked through Harvey's bedroom door, that he wouldn't yell. He promised himself that he would be as calm and rational and gentle as possible, but then she'd accused him of cheating and made it sound as if Harvey's crime was his fault, and he'd lost it.

"You can't walk away from a damn relationship that never fucking existed!"

"What?" she gasped, staring at him, her eyes full of hurt.

"That's right; it was an undercover mission that my boss forced me into! Don't you get it they wanted you for your father."  
"It…it wasn't real?" she sobbed, "none of it was real? You never felt anything for me?"  
"Maybe, at one point," he sighed, running his hands through his hair, "but not for a long time, not since you started to act like a whiny, clingy, paranoid stalker."

"So it was all a lie?" she shrieked, almost incomprehensible now, "everything I ever knew about you, everything you told me, was to get to my father? And what did he do wrong in the first place, why _my _father!"

She launched herself at Tony, fists flailing and banging on his chest. He just stood there stony faced, taking it.

"That is enough," Ziva's voice rang out authoritatively, causing Jeanne to hit even harder. Ziva rolled her eyes and grabbed the doctor's hands dragging her away from Tony.

"You bitch!" she yelled, now deciding to channel her anger at Ziva. "You stole him away from me, he loved me once but you stole him! Look at the way he looks at you, he fucking wants you and he doesn't want me!"

"Alright that's quite enough," Gibbs said in a surprisingly placid manner as he walked into the room, "you need to calm the hell down Ms. Benoit."

He administered his famous stare, until she finally calmed down. Ziva released her wrists and she slid down to the floor, crying in a heap with her head in her hands.

"DiNozzo, David you have some explaining to do," Gibbs growled, scrunching his eyebrows.

"Why me?" Ziva asked, raising her hands as if in surrender.

"You obviously knew something about it and I want answers."

"Ask your dear director; this is her doing," Tony scowled before limping of with as much anger as he could manage. Ziva sent Gibbs a reproachful look before following her partner.  
"Awww shit Jenny."

* * *

**A/N: You know the drill review for a preview of the next chapter. So the next chapter might not be up till the weekend _because_ this is everything i have written in advance apart from the preview for the next chapter i'll try my hardest to finish this before the end of the holidays, i feel this is almost coming to an end D:, which sucks but then i can concentrate on my new story so it a double edged sword.**

**Teaser for the new story (these are getting harder): Still Tiva but a bit more Abby/Tony friendship and more angsty than this fic (but it'll still be fun like i _hope_ this one is)**

**Anyway stay tuned for that, next chapter I'll let you know the title :)**

**xoxo**


	14. I know i've heard it before

**A/N: This is drawing to a close i'm really sad about that. Lot's of dialogue this chapter and PLEASE read the A/N at the bottom, really important question**

**

* * *

****This is all I know, I know I've heard it before**

"Now Tony, I know this is hard for you but you need to tell me what you did to break protocol."

Tony, Gibbs and Jenny were all sitting around the table in the director's office, debriefing on the mission gone wrong.

"Director with all due respect I didn't break protocol," Tony said stiffly, no respect evident in his voice.

"Well obviously you did otherwise the mission wouldn't have been compromised."

"Look I did nothing against the book _Madame Director_ and even if I had broken protocol it isn't my fault that Jeanne was friends with Tegan and present at her house the morning we arrested Harvey," Tony spat, "it was a coincidence, no matter what Gibbs says about them, this time that's all it was."

"What about the photos DiNozzo?" Gibbs spoke up, "she was raving on about photos and something about you cheating on her."

"I don't know too much about that either; apparently someone took photos of me and Ziva and sent them to her, which is why she was at Tegan's place this morning," Tony shrugged.

"What were you doing out with Ziva?"

"We were having lunch and talking, she's a co-worker, and it's not a damn crime."

At the directors raised eyebrows he continued, "I do it with Abby and McGee all the time, what was I supposed to do put my whole damn _life_ on hold for your stupid mission?"

"Very well, but is Miss Benoit receiving these photos the day before you arrest Harvey also a coincidence?" Jenny asked, keeping her eyebrows near her hairline.

"I don't like what you're implying Jenny. I didn't know they were friends and I certainly didn't send her those pictures."

"Well you were dead set on getting off this mission yesterday," she pointed out, trying to come across unfazed.

"Great so now I'm a dishonest screw-up? Thanks for your vote of confidence but I didn't do it. Unlike some people I have professional integrity and choose uphold it."

"Now are we done here?" he asked standing stiffly. Jenny nodded mutely, her eyes wide.

"Good."

He hobbled stiffly over to the door and walked out, closing it behind him with a soft click.

"What the hell did you do to my best agent Jen?" Gibbs growled, his tone dangerously quiet as soon as the door was closed behind Tony, "because you seem so caught up in this personal vendetta against The Frog that you don't care who you hurt."

"So he told you about the agent afloat thing huh?" she said deflated, falling back onto the sofa.

"You did what?"

"Apparently not. Look all I did was _offer_ him a position as an agent afloat, we've all done it Jethro," she explained in an attempt to soothe the man's anger

"You threatened to send my best damn agent away as a _punishment_ because he voiced concerns about his cover being compromised, and his concerns were right? He's a mess right now and I don't even know if you deserve your position after using it to your own damn advantage."

"Jethro… I."

"No! Don't you dare say you're sorry," he punched the wall, "he's my agent and I should have his six, but he's your agent too and you can't manipulate him because he's never gonna trust you ever again."

He stormed towards the door and wrenched it open, turning to face her before he walked through, "and you know what, neither will I."

He said it so softly Jenny had to lean in to hear him before he slammed the door, rattling it on its hinges.

* * *

Tony returned to his desk and wearily sat down in his chair, the events of the past couple of months, all the secrets and his busted ankle, weighing heavily on him.

"Abby wants to talk to you."

Ziva's voice was so quiet that he almost missed it, and quiet was not a word one would use to describe Ziva's voice very often.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked her, sitting up and placing his elbows on his desk.  
"Am I alright?" she laughed, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"  
"I've had way worse," he shrugged nonchalantly and she might have believed him, if she didn't know him so well.

"Doesn't mean you are alright."  
"Ziva, I'm fine, now answer my question."

"Yes Tony, I am also fine," she sighed, "now hurry Abby wants to see you."

"Great, I just sat down," he moaned but he pulled himself out of his chair nonetheless.

"I could always ask her to come up here if your ankle is sore," Ziva offered.  
"Knowing Abby, I'm in for it and I would rather she didn't cause a scene up here," he said in a dishevelled manner before heading off to the lift.

"I suppose you are right," she sighed, keeping pace beside him.

"I'm always right," he said cracking a smile as they hopped into the lift and she snorted.

It was then he noticed the absence of the final member of the team and sighed.

"Probie's down there as well isn't he?" he asked as the doors closed.

* * *

"You wanted to see me Abby?" Tony asked striding into the lab. Ziva noticed with a start that he was no longer limping on his ankle as he had been before, had he been playing it up?

"No Tony, I wanted to speak with you, I never want to see you again!" Abby huffed, not turning around from where she was working at her station.  
"Alright then," he said easily, leaning again her workstation to relieve some of the pressure on his ankle, "shoot."

"Don't tempt me," she muttered darkly.

"Look Abs, I _know _you're mad; heck I would be mad too but you have to understand where I'm coming from," Tony started when it became evident Abby wasn't going to speak.

"What, lying to your friends? Dating such a creep? Not telling us and having to carry it all by yourself? What could, you know, possibly be wrong about that! And to top it off you broke Ziva's-" Abby started off and Tony wisely kept quiet.

"Can we please _not_ bring me into this thank you?" Ziva cut the rambling Goth off, moving to stand next to Tony.

"How are you not angry about this?" Abby asked in a tone most people did not usually associate with her.

"Well I'm not really that angry about it," McGee piped up from where he sat next to her and even her glare didn't deter him.

"What? It was an undercover mission and the fewer people who know about it the less chance it had of being compromised."

"Not that it did much good this time," Tony muttered under his breath. "Someone still sent her those damn photos which were why she was at Purcell's house in the first place."

"Timmy you're supposed to be on my side here," Abby scolded as his thoughts returned to the conversation.

"Abby it's not a fight, there are no sides."

"Right… Still Ziva I expected you to be the most annoyed about this," Abby said, completely ignoring McGee. He met Tony's eyes and they shared a look that clearly said _women_.

"I am not annoyed because I already knew," Ziva sighed.

"You knew!" Abby squealed, "_you knew_ and you didn't tell us, or convince him to tell us!"

"Don't get mad at Ziva Abby," Tony said softly, "I only told her yesterday and I made her swear not to tell."

"How come you told her and not us?" Abby pouted.

"Because my cover was almost blown while we were questioning Tegan and I had to tell her so she would play along," Tony sighed, "look Abby I was going to tell you I swear I was-" he was cut off by the shrill ringing of a cell phone

"Whose phone is that?" Abby wondered out loud after hearing a tone she didn't recognise.

"Tony's," Ziva said, looking a little pale.

"Did he change his ring tone?" she questioned thinking _Tony hadn't changed his ring tone the whole 6 years he had been there, why start now?_

"No, it's his private cell." McGee supplied.

"Private cell?"

"More like my alias' cell," Tony gulped, "and only one person has the number."

* * *

**A/N: Firstly review for a preview last chapter i got a lot less review than usual D:.**

**Anyway important question: The next chapter. Now I'm gonna be busy for the next couple of days so i won't get much time to write so you have two options to do with the posting of the next chapter**

**A. I split the chapter into 2 so you'll get a short chapter on sunday or monday and the second part thursday/friday**

**B. I keep it together and you get a longer chapter but not until wednesday or thursday**

**PLEASE let me know which one you prefer because well I know what's going to happen, it's you that's reading it.**

**Finally preview for the new story: It's called the Navy Letter**

**Until i post again**

**xoxo  
**


	15. If i never see your face again

**A/N: So i did decide to split the chapter because it turned out longer than i thought. I'm sorry it's been so long, I went over my internet limit and had no connection and my beta was on holidays! just need to get it beta'd and updated. **

**Update: Updated chapter with a couple of changes and some grammar errors fixed so if you've read it already no need to read again, couple of minor changes**

**

* * *

****If I never see your face again I don't mind**

"_It's his private cell." McGee supplied._

"_Private cell?"_

"_More like my alias' cell," Tony gulped, "and only one person has the number."_

Just as Tony worked up the guts to open the phone and to give the broken woman the closure she deserved the shrill ringing sound ceased. Ziva, Abby and McGee looked at each other nervously until Ziva reached out and touched Tony's arm.

"Are you alright Tony, you look like you have seen a goal," she said quietly.

"_Ghost _Ziva, goal doesn't even make sense." He smiled at her and she grinned back.

"Hey, you did that on purpose to make me feel better!" he realised and her grin became cheeky.

"Did it work?" she asked him, the smirk still plastered on her face.

"Yeah, just a little," he smiled weakly back at her.

"See, this is what it should have been like for the past year," Abby whispered to McGee, as they watched their Senior Field Agent and Mossad Liaison Officer.

"Abby, I get you want the best for them, I really do, but no meddling this time. Look where your last plan got us," McGee warned.

"I'm sorry," she pouted, "but she overreacted with those pictures, they really were harmless."

"Yeah _totally_ harmless," he said dryly, "look they have something, everyone can see it but them, so let them figure it out as they're starting to. Alright," he taped her gently on the nose.

The beeping of Tony's phone drew the two separate conversations together.  
"She's sending you a text message now?" McGee asked eyebrows raised, "what for?"

"Who knows," Tony shrugged, as McGee and Abby crowded round his shoulders trying to look at the text. "Do you guys mind?" he asked.

"Not at all," Abby shrugged, "don't mind us."

"Abby, I think Tony means that he would like to read the message himself," Ziva supplied.

"Well of course he does, but that is absolutely no fun at all," she huffed; still McGee sighed and pulled her away.

The other three watched Tony intensely as his eyes drifted from side to side, reading the content of the mysterious text message. As his eyes reached the bottom he let out a muffled cry and fumbled with the phone, dropping it on the ground. He quickly caught himself and rearranged his mask. He then leant down to grab the phone but Abby was quicker, snatching the phone quickly in her hands.

"Abby, please don't," he said in a nonchalant voice that contained a hidden plea which the Goth proceeded to ignore, her eyes also skimming the text.

"That…that...that… psycho doctor hoe!" She all but screamed, reading the message, "how the hell can she do that to you? And you loved this bitch Tony! My god what is wrong with you, mission or not!"

"Abby, what is the matter with you?" McGee chided gently.

"That slag just told Tony by text that she no longer feels the passion to save people's lives anymore and is relocating to Australia and that it is_ all his fucking fault!_ IN A TEXT MESSAGE! That is what the damn matter with me is McGee," Abby ranted, hands flying as she paced around the room.

"Are you serious? Is she serious?" he addressed the last part to Tony as Abby was too busy muttering profanities under her breath to answer him. Ziva stood next to Tony shoulders brushing in silent support.

"Well in a nut shell yeah, Jeanne did tell me she's moving to Australia because she doesn't have anything connecting her to Washington and that she wants a fresh start," Tony shrugged, "but she was already unhappy here so really she's not blaming me."

"How can you defend that doctor hoe?" Abby asked, walking straight up to Tony's face, "first you don't even tell us about your damn mission, then you take this, this shit treatment from her and expect us to still respect you? What the hell happened to you Tony? Who are you?"

"Abby that is enough," Ziva pushed her back slightly. The glare melted completely from Abby's eyes as she looked at his face. "Oh Tony…"

"I'm going to find Gibbs," he said gruffly, storming out of the lab.

"Tony…" Abby made to follow her friend, except an arm from Ziva kept her back.

"Let him go Abby, he needs to think and so do you," she said gently.

"I didn't mean it." Abby looked small, "it's just that text message, it made me so mad. Take a look for yourself."

Abby handed Ziva the mobile and at that moment, if the doctor had been in the room, she would have been on the floor bleeding due to Ziva's wrath. Curiously McGee plucked the phone from Ziva's hand and read the message.

**To:** Tony

**From:** Jeanne

**Message: **Tony – if that is even your real name – I am sending you this to extend the courtesy of letting you know what is going on with me. After everything that happened I feel manipulated and abused and already in such a short period I have come to associate these feelings with this city, Washington. So I'm moving to Australia. You ruined my view of the city I loved, of my family, of my _profession_ and of myself so I can't face any of it anymore. I'm starting a new life, a new job. If I can't save myself how can I save someone else? Have a nice life

Jeanne

* * *

Tony returned to the bullpen to find his boss sitting at the senior agent's desk, waiting for him.

"Boss," Tony nodded, "do you want something?"

"Well yeah DiNozzo, I want to talk."

"Okay, so talk."

Tony crossed his arms and Gibbs sighed; defensive posture, this would still be a bit of a battle.

"In private DiNozzo."

Gibbs stood up out of the chair and walked towards the lift, sure Tony was following.

The two men stood side my side staring in front of themselves, neither talking.

"I wanted to tell you Boss, honestly," Tony sighed, "as soon as you came back. It's just the director made me swear not to say anything, she kept threatening to send me as an Agent Afloat."

"I know DiNozzo," Gibbs half smiled.

"And then well I was afraid you would be ashamed of me for doing that to her. Sure she was the daughter of an arms dealer, but she didn't do anything and then well… I got scared."

"DiNozzo I get it."

"And by then I was so used to keeping it a – wait you get it?"

He turned to face Gibbs and was surprised not to see any anger in his eyes.  
"Yeah DiNozzo I get it. I know what it's like to be wrapped up in obsession, trust me." He laughed a self-deprecating laugh for a fraction of a second, "what Jenny did was wrong, she threatened you and your career and something needs to be done about it."

"You noticed that too huh Boss?" Tony smirked.

"You would have to be blind not to, but the point is I'm not mad. In fact, I expected you to be mad at me."

"What for Boss?"

Now Tony was truly confused; he had expected to get in trouble even though there was no reason for it but instead his boss was coming the closest to an apology he was ever going to get.

"I should have realised something was up, the signs were there."

"In hindsight," Tony pointed out, "if there is one thing I'm good at it's looking like I know what the hell I'm doing."

"Even so DiNozzo…"

"What, going to apologise to me Boss?" Tony felt trapped and unnatural with the niceties Gibbs was presenting to him. He wasn't sick or injured, no one had died and he hadn't almost killed someone. He just wasn't comfortable.

He smirked when Gibbs' hand collided with the back of his head, _now_ they were almost back to normal.

* * *

**A/N: Again tell me your thoughts for a preview. First story I'm ever going to finish it's exciting. Can't wait to post next chapter and i might break 175 reviews, not 200 but you know.  
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**In other ME news I am so obsessed with Doctor Who right now. I watched David Tennant but put of Matt Smith but i started watching in the holidays when i was bored and now im hooked.**

**Teaser about The Navy Letter: Someone dies...**

**Oh and finally i have some sequel ideas spinning around in my head sooooo should i write a sequel or leave it like this. I'll ask again when it's finished because you may change your answer when you finish the story.  
**

**Until next time  
xoxo **


	16. I can't tell you what it really is

**A/N: LAST CHAPTER. Nothing much to say today, so enjoy.**

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**I can't tell you what it really is I can only tell you what it feels like**

When McGee pulled into his allocated parking spot the next morning he noticed Tony's car was already parked in the spot next to his. That was odd.

Another odd thing he noticed was that Ziva's car currently _wasn't_ there; it was almost like the two agents had switched rolls or something. McGee shrugged, it wasn't his problem. He might have time to pay Abby a visit, and maybe even convince her to forgive Tony, before going to his desk. Yeah, he seemed to have time.

* * *

"My dear boy what _are_ you doing down here?"

Ducky had walked into the autopsy room to see one Anthony DiNozzo sitting with his back resting against the wall.

"Morning Ducky," he said sending the ME a tired smile, "I thought you were going to be in late today, I'll just go."

"Don't think I didn't notice that you did not answer my question Anthony," Ducky said setting down his coat and hat, "now what are you doing here?"

"It's just, well, this was the only place I could think of to come and think by myself," Tony replied, letting out a slight sigh.

"Why would you need to do that my boy?" Ducky asked curiously, sitting in his desk chair and turning to face the young man.

"You're not mad at you are me?" Tony asked hesitantly.

"No, of course not! I'm not mad at anyone for this whole mix up, that is if we are talking about the same thing of course," Ducky winked slightly.

"Well that's one person in the building who doesn't hate someone because of me," Tony sighed hanging his head.

"Anthony. None of this is your fault, you were just following orders and the director was just trying to do what she saw her job to be. No one intended for this mess to happen," Ducky told him solemnly, "now tell me what's bothering you. We both know it helps you to talk, it always has. Once you've done that head back up upstairs and do what you need to do with everyone." Ducky leant forward slightly.

"You sure Ducky?" Tony asked, even after all this time slightly amazed the older man wanted to listen to him.

"Of course, it's not like you're keeping me from my work or anything," he chuckled.

"Well if you insist."

Tony took a deep breath, letting down his solid barriers a little, "it's just that everyone is pretty much angry at someone else and I feel like it's my fault. Abby's mad at me for not telling her, McGee is kinda mad at Abby for being mad at me, even if he can't tell. Gibbs is furious at the director for sending me on the mission, the director is pissed at me for 'stuffing up her op' and Ziva, well I think Ziva's mad at me but also at Jeanne for being horrible or something, I don't quite pretend to understand what goes on in her head."

"Well my boy, I'm sure as you said it, you realised there were a lot of assumptions in that monologue. Am I right?" Tony nodded once and the older man continued, "Abigail will surely forgive you very soon, once she gets over not being told, which will also resolve the McGee situation. Jethro has every right to be mad at the director so don't worry yourself about it and she herself will soon realise she is being irrational."

"Thanks Ducky," Tony smiled, pulling himself up off the ground, "I guess I did just need to talk."

"Any time at all," Ducky smiled back.

Tony was almost at the door when he realised Ducky had left one person out.

"Hey Ducky; what about Ziva?" he said, throwing the words over his shoulder.

"Oh I think we both know the answer to that," Ducky winked and Tony entered the lift up to the bullpen grinning.

* * *

"Tony don't you have paper work to do or something?" McGee sighed in frustration as the senior field agent threw yet another paper ball into his bin.

"I've finished," he shrugged, rolling up another piece of paper.

"How are you finished already, you've barely touched your keyboard!"

McGee could never figure out how he did it and it was starting to annoy him.

"Work smarter not harder McProbie, just like I always say," Tony shrugged, not wanting to admit he had been in the building since 3 in the morning doing his paperwork.

"Right, well you can either do some of my paper work or you can piss off," McGee grumbled.

"Sure, as long as it's not your report, give me something to do," Tony shrugged, shocking both McGee and Ziva, who looked up from her screen for the first time.

"Are you serious?" McGee gaped at the older man.

"Well yeah McGee, I wouldn't offer if I wasn't," he shrugged.

"Are you serious Tony? You are not trying to prank him or something?" Ziva spoke up.

"No, can't I just be nice?" Tony asked, jokingly acting offended.

"No," Ziva said bluntly.

"I swear I'm not trying to play some sort of joke, I'm just really bored." Tony placed his hands up as if in surrender.

"If you're so bored DiNozzo, Abby needs some help in her lab," Gibbs said leaning over the divider, coffee cup in hand.  
"So does McGee and I'd rather stay here," Tony pointed out.

"McGee can do his own paper work. Abby now," Gibbs said firmly.

"Fine, if I don't come back alive…" he mumbled standing up slowly.

"Yes, yes, we will make sure that she doesn't mess up your desk and you will get a proper funeral," Ziva nodded,

"You won't be joking when I don't come back. But just for precautions the thing is I love you… PROBIE!" He joked; McGee just stared at him half shocked, half disgusted.

"I am not surprised," Ziva laughed.

"DiNozzo, McGee will still be here. Go!"

"On it boss."

And as Tony trotted off the lift, Gibbs had to hide a smirk.

* * *

"Tony!" Abby squealed as he walked into the lab. The first thing he saw was the Goth woman throwing herself at him and he barely had time to catch her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Umm hi Abby," Tony gasped, the wind knocked out of him. He was shocked at her actions to say the least; when he'd left the lab yesterday she hadn't been talking to him, now she was throwing herself at him in a way she hadn't since he's returned to work in the horrible week after the plague.

"I'm so sorry Tony, it wasn't your fault that you didn't tell us; if you did you could have lost your job and that would be horrible because then I wouldn't see you at all! I mean I would see you but I wouldn't see you at work, everyday and that would be yucky."

She made a face as he gently set her down on her feet.

"Well I'm glad you came to your senses and realised that you couldn't live without me," he teased.

Suddenly she punched him in the arm.

"Bloody hell woman, what was that for!"

"There was a way to tell us, there's always a way," she huffed, walking into the other room.

"Women, can never make up their damn minds," Tony muttered darkly rubbing his arm. Abby returned a few seconds later with a chocolate muffin held out in front of her.

"But it's in the past and I'm just glad you're okay now," she smiled, handing him the muffin.

"Thanks Abs," he smiled back at her.

"You are okay, right?" she asked him, peering at him sideways, as if that would make it all clear.

"Yeah Abs, I really think I will be," he smiled widely at her, "and what brought on this change of heart anyway? Actually I should probably say _who._"

"What makes you think anyone brought it on?" she asked innocently.

"Abby how long have I known you now? Going on six years? You at least owe me some honesty."

"Alright McGee was down here before," she admitted dramatically.

"Wow, McGee convinced you to apologise to me. I'm impressed," Tony said, "I kind of feel bad for that prank I pulled on him now."

"What did you do to him this time?" she sighed.

"Pay-back, for the pictures," Tony pointed out, "very much deserved."

"What pictures?" Abby faked innocence.

"The ones plastered around my damn apartment," Tony half growled, "be lucky my fear of your pranking skills is all that kept you safe."

"Aww I almost feel sorry for poor Timmy," she giggled slightly, "almost."

"Well getting off the topic of 'poor Timmy', how about a movie night, my place tomorrow?" Tony asked.

"Sure!" Abby perked up, "I love movie nights and it'll be like a fitting end to the case, full circle and all."  
"Sure whatever," Tony laughed, "but you might not be getting a ride with McGee this time, just giving you the heads up."

* * *

It was after 10 when McGee had finally finished his paperwork. He'd stayed late because honestly, he would rather rake over cold cases tomorrow than think about this case anymore. Hopping into his car he sat for a minute, noticing that Gibbs and the director's cars were the only ones parked. Sighing he put the key in the ignition and turned it on, the car roaring to life. He put the vehicle into reverse but found to his horror that it wouldn't move. Again and again he tried to no avail and that's when he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd forgotten all about Tony's 'revenge' with the current case and the revelations of secret missions. Getting out of the car he knelt down to find his wheels had been stuck to the ground with what appeared to be super glue.

"DAMNIT DINOZZO!" he swore.

This was going to be a _very _long night.

* * *

**A/N: Right only the Epilogue to go so review for a preview of that. I'm sad about the end of this, but one more left to keep me going. Off to go watch the SEASON FINALE of Doctor Who. I know I'm so behind shhh :P  
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**Navy Letter preview: Tony feels guilt over a murder.**

**xoxo  
**


	17. Whatever's meant to be will work out

**A/N: So we are finally here at the epilogue, the end of the story. first ever finished story and I'm proud but sad to see it end properly. Thanks to everyone who stuck with it or joined late i love you guys so much :D enjoy:

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**Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly**

"Well I should probably go now." Abby yawned as she sat up and moved her head off Tony's shoulder lazily.

"Do you have to?" Tony asked tiredly

"I don't want to but Gibbs wants me in early in the morning for some reason." She moaned, slowly getting to her feet.

"Alrighty then, I'm probably going to fall asleep in the next movie anyway." Tony shrugged, "So it won't really matter whose here or not."

"Do you want me to drive you home Abby?" Ziva asked

"No it's alright, Timmy can do it." She pulled the said man off the couch.

"What? Oh yea sure Timmy will do it." He sighed, "As long as my car will move tonight." He shot daggers at Tony yet again.

"Hey you so deserved it." Tony shrugged, "and now we're even so I'm not planning anything for the time being."

"You better not be or else…" McGee narrowed his eyes

"Or else what? You'll stick your paper work on me." Tony mocked lightly, "Go home you two seriously." He laughed as the two grabbed their things.

"Ziva you can leave too you know." He turned to look at her, "I'm not in the mood to be an interesting host tonight, so I don't want to bore you."

"I am fine Tony, I just want to watch movies." She laughed slightly.

"Great well go look in the cabinet and choose something." He shrugged, settling himself more comfortably.

She got up off the armchair she was sitting in and walked over to his giant collection. She spent a few minutes sorting through before she pulled out a movie with a triumphant cry.

"_Chicago_?" He asked puzzled as she turned triumphantly to show it to him, "you want to watch (italics - dumb iPod!) that?"

"Yes. It is a very funny movie." She nodded as she put it into his DVD player

"To much singing." He fake huffed

"You have it so we're watching it." She poked her tongue out as she shut the player with a small click before returning to sit. However instead of the armchair she chose to sit next to me on the couch.

"Technically it's not mine it's an ex-girlfriend's." he corrected, "But since you're so set, I'm sure I can manage."

* * *

"Why did the women in this film feel the need to kill the men?" Ziva asked as the cell block tango finished, lifting her head from his chest to look at him slightly.  
"I don't know I'm not a woman." He shrugged, "but I think it's about how these woman are so possessive over their men they would kill anyone who stood in their way. Or how if the men weren't 100% theirs they didn't deserve to live."

"That doesn't make sense." Ziva pointed out

"I didn't say it did." He chuckled, "And anyway you're possessive I thought you would have connected with them or something. Although it's unlikely you would be caught." He grinned. When he looked at her however she was sitting up fully and staring at him with an intense expression on her face.

"That is not true." She finally said  
"And why not? You're mighty possessive and a trained killer; a deadly combination." He said cheekily, however her expression remained the same. "Ziva?"

"That is not true Tony, you should know."

"How would _I_ know? Now Jeanne on the other hand well I'm actually scared she's going to come and get me, especially as she loves this movie."

"Do not worry I will protect you." She whispered,

"Well I feel so much safer now." He winked, "but answer the question how would I know?"

"Well you would know I'm nothing like that." She whispered huskily, "because you're not…" suddenly her legs were straddling his lap and her face was inches from his, "dead!"

"Well I'm mighty glad I'm not dead." He whispered back,

"Because you wouldn't be able to do this?" she winked

"Exactly." He grinned before their lips met in a passionate kiss.

* * *

**A/N: So was that a satisfying ending, hope there was enough fluff/Tiva in there and i even threw in a kiss for good measures. What did you think, of the story/the epilogue and everything please please PLEASE let me know I want to know how i can improve for the Navy Letter. Also review to let me know if you want a equal or if this should stand alone  
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**Speaking of, review for a preview of the prologue of The Navy Letter. It should be up within a fortnight. If you're interested in it put me on Author Alert :D**

**Navy Letter Summary: The Navy colored Envelope arrived in the Navy Yard. The innocent, harmless little envelope addressed to Tony DiNozzo, what on earth could it do? It could do a lot. It brings with it a horrible case, a incredible sense of sadness and guilt and a glimpse into the firmly closed past of Tony DiNozzo. Now he's unraveling at the seems, Abby's getting frantic, Gibbs is concerned and Ziva is feeling left out and jealous. Oh the Navy Letter, what _have _you done. [A bit more angsty, which is more my thing but of course knowing me there's lots of TIVA and a healthy dose of Abby/Tony best friend/sibling realtionship. Oh and my unique sense of humour] keep you eyes peeled  
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**Alright now I'm just delaying posting this because I'm not so sure about my fluff writing skills and I don't want it to end so thank you so so so much again.**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo  
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